A Witch's Family
by DragonKatGal
Summary: --Complete-- BTVS HP Crossover. The sequel to 'A Murderer's Daughter'. Buffy'n'Harry. Buffy's Sixth Year at Hogwarts takes a turn for the worse when the Ministry decides that she's too powerful. Plus the Slytherins are looking for payback.
1. The Beginning

A Witch's Family

SETTINGS: The much awaited (*cough cough*) sequel to 'A Murderer's Daughter'.  Set pretty much straight where we left off.  Voldemort's dead and gone, the Gang's going into the sixth year, and Buffy's just seen Willow strolling through London.

SPOILERS: Uh, up to Season Three I guess.  And the first four HP books.

DISCLAIMER: So not mine.

ONWARDS:

CHAPTER ONE: THE BEGINNING

"So?  Spill already!"

Buffy Summers couldn't help but laugh, her friend's enthusiasm was something she had missed desperately over the last year.  Willow Rosenburg bounced eagerly in her seat, unable to believe that she'd run into her blonde friend in London of all places.  It had happened when Willow had least expected it to, but then again, things like that usually _did_ happen when you didn't expect it to happen.

"What do you wanna know?" Buffy asked, unable to contain the grin that was spread across her face.  

"Duh!" Willow said, exasperation in her tone and showing on her face.  "Everything!  This whole 'not a Slayer' thing, your sudden hottie of a cousin with a Spike-complex.  Just…everything."

Buffy grinned.

"Short version or long?"

"Depends," Willow said, frowning a little.  "How long will the long version take?"

"Coupla hours," Buffy replied nonchalantly.

They were seated in a café on a busy street in Muggle London.  Of course, Willow had no idea that there was a portion of London that was Magical London.  Buffy sipped at her steaming mocha, pretending that nothing was fazing her.

"Oh…well, short version I guess."

"Hmmm, turns out there's a big community of witches and wizards who survive solely on magic.  I was meant to have been brought up there, cos I'm the daughter of a very powerful wizard."

"But…what about your mom?" Willow asked.

Buffy sighed.  It still hurt to think about her mom, the gentle Joyce Summers who Buffy had loved tremendously.  But the love her mom had felt towards her had been a lie.

"Not really my mom.  Some spell that the bigwigs here did to make her think I was hers."  
  


Willow winced.  "Ouch.  I guess that explains why she up and left Sunnydale so quickly.  We were so confused when we went by your house only to find that your mom had moved already.  When Giles called and told us that you'd relocated, we figured that your mom had gone with you, but…wow, that's so harsh."

Buffy nodded.  "That's putting it lightly.  Hmmm, to cut a long story short, the better part of last year was the worst few months of my life, sucking beyond the telling of it.  Went up against the biggest Big Bad you've ever seen, defeated him, and managed to pass all my exams as well as stay in a steady relationship."

Willow's jaw dropped.  She wasn't sure which had shocked her more, Buffy passing all her exams or the biggest Big Bad portion of Buffy's explanation.  Buffy grinned at her friend's reaction and calmly finished the rest of her drink.

"So, you said it'd take how many hours to do the long explanation?" 

------------------------

Three hours later, Willow had tears in her eyes and no idea of what to say to her best friend.  She'd been angry at Buffy for going away without telling them, but hearing about what had happened to her best friend, Willow found herself unable to hate Buffy.  If anything, Willow only felt sorrow at not being able to be there during what was possibly the worst year of her friends life.

It was strange to think that Buffy wasn't eighteen.  The Gang had sent her gifts for her eighteenth birthday, and to hear that Buffy was actually only just about to turn seventeen was a little disturbing.  Willow didn't even want to think about the fact that Buffy had now lost her virginity at fifteen and a half instead of seventeen.  It was just too weird to deal with.

"Wow," Willow said for about the seventh time in ten minutes.

Buffy nodded and sipped at her drink.  She was on her fourth mocha, while Willow was only on her second.  Buffy remembered that her friend wouldn't be able to handle another of the sugared beverage, and made a note to herself to make sure Willow had no more.

"That's…amazing," Willow said.

"Pretty much threw me for a loop," Buffy said.

Willow swallowed hard and tried to put herself in Buffy's place.  She couldn't even begin to imagine being strong enough to make it through what the small blonde girl had gone through.  Months of rumours and gossip and heartache and nightmares.  It didn't sound fun and Willow didn't envy her.  Except for the part where Buffy was able to do complicated magic almost without even trying.

"I'm sorry," Willow said for the twelfth time.

"Not your fault," Buffy replied nonchalantly.  "'Sides, there was nothing you could have done.  I'm just glad that you guys aren't mad at me."

Willow shook her head.  "We were hurt for a while, but…then when Angel came back to Sunnydale and gave us half an explanation, we…it was better.  Knowing that you were okay.  We were so worried about you.  We got one phone call from Giles saying he'd found you but that the Council had relocated the two of you.  I wanted to talk to you…all the time, but…I get why you couldn't."

Buffy smiled, thankful that her friend understood what had happened.  Whilst Willow may not have been happy about it, she did understand.  

"So…can I see you sometime, or can't you leave the school?" Willow asked.

"Technically, I'm not allowed to leave, but when has that ever stopped me?"  
  


Willow laughed and shook her head, thankful that some things never changed.

"I really missed you, you know." 

Buffy gave her friend a half smile and nodded.  "I know the feeling."

They stood simultaneously without a spoken word.  Willow laughed a little at how in sync they still were even after a year of being apart.  They exited the café, the waitress waving to the pair who had been sitting there and ordering drink after drink for so many hours.

Willow had given Buffy a condensed version of the story in Sunnydale.  Buffy was surprised to hear that Angel and Xander were almost actually civil to each other nowadays.  After the 'clothes fluke' between Xander and Willow before Homecoming, Xander and Oz's friendship had died and Xander had been desperate for male companionship.  Xander being friendly to the brooding vampire had shocked Willow tremendously, but she thought it was nice that Xander had finally forgiven Angel for what had happened.

The new Slayer to be called after Kendra had visited Sunnydale to foil the Mayor, Richard Wilkins III's, plans to become a pure demon.  The girl, Faith, hadn't stayed in Sunnydale, but Willow had genuinely liked the new Slayer and had kept in contact with her through emails every other week.

"So, when do you start at Oxford?" Buffy asked as they wandered through the streets of London. 

"Well, I'm taking some extra classes for a few more weeks.  Nothing too serious, just some chem labs and a few physics lessons so that I can catch up on a few things that Sunnydale wasn't teaching.  I mean, it wasn't as though our teachers were stupid at Sunnydale High or anything, but the students just weren't interested in learning anything more than they had to know, y'know.  So…extra classes, but officially I don't start until September.  Why?"

Buffy laughed a little and shook her head, wondering how she'd survived the last year without Willow's babbling tendencies.

"I was thinking Giles might wanna say hi," Buffy explained.

Willow's eyes lit up with excitement.

"Really?"

"Yes really," Buffy replied.  "I think he misses Sunnydale almost as much as I do."

"Well, we missed you guys," Willow said.  "It wasn't the same without you and Giles.  The new librarian was a terror!  Always shushing us and not letting us eat in there.  We stopped visiting there cos it just got too depressing without you guys."

Willow paused for a moment and looked thoughtfully at Buffy.  She had heard the entire story from start to finish, including the part about being able to appear in any spot she wanted to whenever she wanted to.

"So, do you think I could see your school?" Willow asked.  "Cos that'd be really cool."

"I'll ask Giles and Dumbledore about it," Buffy promised.  "I'm not too sure about the rules of all this secret location thing, but I'm pretty sure Dumbledore won't mind.  He's pretty cool with just about anything these days."

"Plus, you're probably a favourite after that whole 'killing the most evil wizard' thing that went down," Willow said.

Buffy blushed a little and nodded.  "That too."

----

*grins* And to think I only posted to get an update from Lisette. *lol*   

Enjoy!

SNEAK PREVIEW: Willow's visit to Hogwarts and a reunion with Giles.

Toodles.


	2. The Tour

CHAPTER TWO: THE TOUR

As Buffy had predicted, Dumbledore didn't mind Buffy's request to allow Willow to visit Hogwarts.  Giles was stunned that Buffy had even seen the redheaded Sunnydale girl, but was delighted to hear that Willow wanted to see him again.  He wouldn't admit it aloud, but he had missed the Scooby Gang, especially Willow.  She was the first of the group that Giles had really known, and the thought of seeing her again was incredibly pleasing to him.

Buffy and Willow arranged to begin Willow's visit to Hogwarts fairly early in the morning so they could spend the day together.  Buffy, now with an apparating license even though she was a year too young, and having been properly taught how to apparate and disapparate by Dumbledore himself, had arranged for Willow to be in her apartment by herself so she wouldn't scare any Londoners by just apparting on the street.

Willow gasped a little as her best friend appeared out of thin air.  She suddenly grinned and decided that her best friend's new skill was incredibly cool, and whilst she was slightly envious of Buffy, she was also very happy that Buffy had finally found her place within the world.

"Hey Wills," Buffy said brightly.  "Ready to go?"

Willow grinned and nodded.  "I'm ready.  I could barely sleep last night!" she admitted.  She looked at Buffy nervously, a little worried now that it was time for Buffy to take her to Hogwarts.  "What do I hafta do?"

Buffy just held out her hand for Willow to take.  Willow took it and Buffy gave her a comforting smile.  "Do I need to close my eyes or anything?" Willow asked nervously.

"You don't have to or anything," Buffy said.  "Some people prefer it, but it makes no real difference."

Willow nodded and closed her eyes, not sure she was ready to have her eyes open for something that had the potential to go wrong in so many different ways.

"Okay," Willow said.  "I'm ready."

She felt a sudden rush of air pass over her and she opened one eye experimentally.  She gasped and her eyes widened as she took in what appeared to be an incredibly old, incredibly beautiful castle.  They were just outside the front door.  Buffy smiled, thankful that they'd ended up where she'd wanted them to be.  She was definitely getting better at navigating her way around whilst apparating.

"Wow," Willow breathed quietly.

Buffy grinned, remembering her first memories of seeing Hogwarts.  Now, it was an everyday occurrence for her, but seeing Willow taking everything in for the first time was making Buffy smile widely.

"Pretty amazing, isn't it," Buffy said.

Willow barely noticed that her friend had asked anything.  Buffy just grinned as Willow turned around slowly, taking in the lake, the far-off Quidditch pitch and the Forbidden Forest that was only just in view.

"This place is…wow," Willow said again.

Buffy grinned and took Willow's hand again, pulling her inside.  They stepped into the Entrance Hall and Willow was lost for words.  She couldn't believe that _this_ was where Buffy had been for the last year or so.  Buffy had explained how big Hogwarts was, but hearing about it and seeing it were two completely different things.  

Giles had told Buffy that he would be in his office behind the DADA classroom, and that he would be there all day.  Buffy knew that Giles really wanted to see Willow, and that Willow definitely wanted to see Giles as well, so the DADA classroom was to be the first stop of the tour.  

They made their way up the stairs to the fourth floor towards Giles' office, Willow stopping every few seconds to look at one of the moving paintings.  Buffy couldn't contain the smile at the sight of Willow's enthusiasm.  It was nice that she was finally able to share this side of herself with Willow.

They finally made it to the DADA classroom, and up the stairs to Giles' office.  Buffy knocked, disturbing Giles from his book.  He looked up and smiled brightly, standing to greet the red-haired girl that he had missed more than he realised.  He enveloped Willow in a hug, stunning her a little with this display of affection.  Willow returned the hug and eventually stepped back, grinning at him.

"Hey Giles," she greeted happily.

"It's wonderful to see you again Willow," he said, his voice barely restraining his excitement.

"You too," she replied.  "We missed you guys."

"Well, I can confidently say that we missed you all as well."

Willow grinned and turned to look at Buffy.  "He's even stuffier than he was!" Willow joked.  

Buffy rolled her eyes and nodded.  "I know.  It's cos he's back around other Brits.  All our Americanising that we tried to do got kinda reversed within months."

Giles made a slight clucking sound with his tongue and ushered the girls out of the slightly dark office.  They wandered back into the DADA classroom and took seats at the tables.

Giles breathed in deeply and gave Willow a proud look that Willow had been missing for the last year.  Giles' reaction at hearing where the girl had been accepted to go to college had been more enthusiastic than Willow's own parents reactions had been, and she was thrilled that she had made the man, who had been more of a father to the Scoobies than their own parents had ever been, proud of her.

"I can't believe you were accepted into Oxford," Giles said, practically gushing.  

Willow grinned, fairly proud of her achievements as well.  She'd been aiming for something like this for years, and to have all of her efforts being paid off in such a way made Willow want to sing for joy.

"I was pretty thrilled when I got the acceptance letter," Willow said.  "And honestly, I was tossing up on whether to go to Oxford or to Harvard, but I've always wanted to study overseas."

"Well, I can't think of a person who deserves it more than you," Giles stated, an encouraging smile on his lips.

Willow grinned and suddenly found herself uncomfortable with the compliments.  She was definitely not used to them.  She was quick to change the subject, and she looked towards Buffy.

"So, what about you, Little Miss Slacker?" Willow asked.  "You said you went straight into Fifth Year here, so how far behind are you?"

Buffy went slightly red, confusing Willow.  Giles held back a chuckle and placed a fatherly hand on Buffy's shoulder.

"Dumbledore is actually letting Buffy sit both her Sixth and Seventh Years this year rather than have her just be in Sixth.  The work was too uh…well, she needed more of a challenge," Giles explained.

Willow's jaw dropped comically and she looked between Buffy and Giles to see if they were just trying to play a trick on her.  They looked fairly serious.  Buffy had skimmed over that particular fact when she'd been telling Willow about who she really was.  

"Wow…Buff, that's awesome!" Willow exclaimed excitedly.  "Why didn't you say something?"

Buffy just shrugged.  "It never really came up."

Willow rolled her eyes and playfully swatted the girl's arm.  "You are unbelievable.  I mean, I pretty much believe that you're powerful, that whole appearing/disappearing thing-"

"Apparating," Buffy and Giles corrected simultaneously.

"Whatever.  That was pretty cool, so I believe you can do magic, but…you're skipping grades!  That's…very wow-worthy."

Buffy smiled.  "Thanks Wills."

Giles clapped his hands together and stood up, looking down at the two girls.  "Perhaps we should continue with the tour of Hogwarts rather than stay ensconced up here," he suggested.

Willow and Buffy shared a look and giggled quietly.  Giles just rolled his eyes and tried to remember why he'd agreed to let them spend the day together.

---

Yes I know they're short.  They will get longer, I swear.  Many many many thanks for your reviews and emails!  Glad you guys are reading this thing.

Toodles.


	3. The Power

CHAPTER THREE: THE POWER

Buffy showed Willow around as much of Hogwarts as she knew.  The previous year Harry, Ron and Hermione had showed her the various secrets passageways that they knew of, and in turn, Buffy showed them to Willow.  Willow was just constantly in awe of everything that the Hogwarts Castle had to offer.  

The girls turned the corner, laughing and talking loudly.  Buffy hadn't been paying too much attention to which part of the school they were in, and had led Willow down to the Dungeons, near Snape's classroom and the Slytherin Common Rooms.  Distracted by their conversation, Buffy and Willow very nearly bumped into a scowling man.  Willow gasped and took an involuntary step backwards.  Buffy just rolled her eyes.

"Professor Snape," she greeted.

He glared at her, and she forced herself not to retaliate.  As much as she really didn't like Professor Snape, he was still a teacher at Hogwarts, and she was still a student.  

"Summers," he replied coolly.  "What, prey tell, are you doing down here with your…friend?"

"I'm just showing Willow around Hogwarts.  Your classroom happens to be within Hogwarts, so…that's about the it," she replied calmly.

Snape cast his gaze over Willow who managed to draw upon some well of inner strength and net his eyes.  

"Willow, this is Professor Snape, Professor, this is my best friend Willow Rosenburg.  We went to school together in California," Buffy explained.

Snape looked at the girl and raised an eyebrow.  "Fascinating."  

Buffy rolled her eyes.  And she'd thought that _she _abused sarcasm.  

Snape flicked his gaze over Willow again before walking away, murmuring an almost polite "good day" as he walked.  Willow watched him leave and nearly began hyperventilating as soon as he was gone.

"Goddess, is he always that creepy?" Willow asked.

Buffy nodded sadly and the girls began walking in the opposite direction to where Snape had gone.  "Pretty much.  Fred and George call him Professor Cranky-Pants."

Willow giggled a little and nodded her approval.  "It's a fitting title.  He's just so…icky."

"That he is.  But you should meet some of the other Professors.  Some of them are really nice.  Professor Flitwick's adorable, he's so little!  Oh, and McGonagall is awesome.  She's an animagus, like Harry's godfather Sirius.  She can turn herself into a cat.  Can you imagine how cool that would be?  To just be able to turn yourself into an animal at will?"

Willow looked at her best friend with new eyes.  Seeing Buffy in this setting seemed so unnatural, and yet Buffy seemed to fit in so well within the school.  Willow could see the genuine excitement that Buffy had for anything magic related, including schoolwork, which was something that Willow had never been able to interest Buffy with before.  It was a change, but Willow decided that it was definitely a good one.

Something in Buffy's voice made Willow a little suspicious of her best friend though.  She was showing an awful lot of enthusiasm on one topic and Willow had to wonder whether or not it was within school rules.  Knowing Buffy, whatever she had planned would be breaking at least a few of the rules.

"You seem pretty keen on that animorph topic, Buff," Willow said, attempting to be casual.  

"Animagus," Buffy said, startling Willow with the second correction of the day.  It was strange for Buffy to be doing the correcting instead of being on the receiving end of it.

"Yeah, that.  You seem kinda interested in it.  You sure it's not just purely curiousity.  You're not trying to learn how to do something like that are you?  Cos that sounds all kinds of advanced."

"It is advanced," Buffy admitted.  "Really, really advanced, but…can't you imagine having that ability.  I mean, come on, talk about cool!"

"Are you even allowed to try something like that?" Willow asked.

"No," Buffy pouted.  "Not until we're out of school.  Plus you have to be registered and stupid stuff like that.  Don't see why.  Sirius isn't registered and he gets away with it just fine.  Has done for years."

"It's probably a safety thing Buff.  Besides, if it's advanced, then…well, are you sure you're ready for something like that?" Willow asked.

Buffy bit her lip and decided to just go in for the kill.

"You know that whole disapparating thing we did to get here?" Buffy began.  Willow nodded.  "Well, you kinda aren't allowed to even try something like that until you're eighteen."  

Willow's eyes bugged out.  "Then why-"

"And disapparating into Hogwarts…it's theoretically impossible.  No one has ever been able to apparate into Hogwarts cos of it's protective barriers.  They're the strongest magical barriers that this world has, and not even Dumbledore can break past them," Buffy said.

Willow's eyes went even wider and Buffy wondered whether it was actually possible for someone's eyeballs to fall out of their sockets.

"But you…and we…but we just…"

Buffy nodded, somehow understanding Willow's half sentences.

"Yeah, Will," Buffy said.

Willow could only stare at her best friend.  "Wow."

At first, all Willow could think of was the coolness factor of it all.  It took several moments for the reality of it to sink in.  Buffy had explained the previous day who Dumbledore was, and the fact that many people considered him to be the wizard with the greatest power in all the world.  To then hear that Buffy was doing something that the greatest wizard in the world couldn't was slightly…frightening.

"You're stronger than Dumbledore," Willow finally said.  "Magically I mean."

Buffy nodded.  She had had copious amounts of free time over the last month to reflect on what had happened in the final month at Hogwarts.  She had found the time to finally process exactly what had happened and had come up with the same conclusion that Willow had drawn.  She was stronger than Dumbeldore.  And whilst many witches and wizards would have loved to have made that claim, the very idea of it scared Buffy to death.

She didn't want to be that strong.  She didn't want to have that kind of power.  And not to be cliché, but Buffy knew that with great power came great responsibility.  Her name was well known within the wizarding community now.  People recognised her on the street and either shied away from her or came and congratulated her.  Half feared her, and the other half worshipped her.

The fearful half were afraid that Voldemort's daughter had only killed her father so that she could take his place and become the unquestioned ruler of the wizarding community.  Buffy couldn't count how many rumours there were about her evil scheme to take over the wizarding world.  Everyone respected her though, whether from fear or from awe, they respected what she had done.  But many of them were just waiting for Buffy to make a move and try to build up an army of Death-Eaters of her own.

"Doesn't it frighten you?" Willow asked.

Over the last year Willow had dabbled into the Wiccan arts and had learned to float pencils and summon the four elements ('two out of four isn't so bad') as well as small glamour charms.  And Willow had been scared by those small steps.  She couldn't imagine being thrust into a position of having enormous amounts of power and not really knowing what to do with it.

"Honestly," Buffy began slowly, "half the time it terrifies me.  I mean, I'm only seventeen years old-"

"Which, by the way, is weird in itself," Willow interrupted her.  Buffy grinned and then sobered, going back to her original topic.

"I have all this power Will.  I don't deserve it, and…I don't know what to do with it.  I just know I don't wanna do what my father did with his power.  I don't want to abuse it, but I do wanna learn to control it.  The only problem is, no one else has this much power to control, so I can't really get too much help from anyone.  Giles and Dumbledore have been great though, but…they don't really have any idea how much power I'm holding back.  _I_ still don't know how much power I'm holding back."

"I guess all you can really do is just do what you did in Sunnydale when you were the Slayer.  Help people, use it for good.  You've always had some sort of power, even if you didn't know it.  And yeah, controlling it may be a problem, but I have faith in you," Willow said encouragingly.  "I know you Buffy, and I know you'll do everything you can to help these people."

Buffy tried to muster up a smile for her friend and could only manage to give a half-hearted attempt at one.  She sighed and the two of them continued down the hallway towards the Great Hall. 

-----

Yes, I _know_ that the age you can apparate is 17, _but_ this is my fic, my rules.   

Many thanks for the reviews and emails!!  You're guys are fully awesome! ;)

Toodles.


	4. The Great Hall

CHAPTER FOUR: THE GREAT HALL

The girls walked into the Great Hall, Willow once again proclaiming the large room to be wow-worthy.  She was fixated by the ceiling, enchanted to look like the sky outside.  Sunbeams shone down into the Hall, warming the area up immensely.  

The Professors were seated at their table, eating lunch.  Giles motioned Willow and Buffy to come and join them, which the two girls quickly did.  They'd been wandering the castle for hours and hadn't really had a chance to eat earlier.  

Sitting with the Professors was a strange experience for Buffy, and she found herself desperately missing her friends especially at meal times.  The Professors were all incredibly nice (with the exception of Snape of course) but they couldn't compare to the friendships that Buffy had with Harry, Ron, Hermione and everyone else.  There was still another two months before school went back, and as eager as Buffy was to learn as much as she could in those two months, she also really wanted her friends there.  She idly wondered if she could convince Draco to return to school a little earlier just to keep her company.

Willow took a seat between Buffy and Giles and gasped as plates of food appeared in front of them magically.  She looked to Buffy who just grinned and began eating.  Willow hesitated for a moment, almost afraid that the food would disappear as suddenly as it had appeared.  Willow finally just shook her head, smiled and grabbed her fork.

"This place is amazing Buffy," Willow whispered as they ate.  "I can't believe this is where you've been the whole time."

Buffy grinned and swallowed before answering.  "It is pretty great.  It's too bad school hasn't started yet.  You should see this place when everyone's here.  Ooo, and you'll hafta come watch a Quidditch game one day.  I'm gonna try out for it when school starts up again."

"And Quidditch would be what exactly?" Willow asked.

"Only the best Wizarding game in the world.  Think of it as basketball on broomsticks," Buffy explained.

Willow looked suitably intrigued and made a mental note to herself to come and watch a game.  Giles looked around Willow towards Buffy.

"You didn't tell me you were going to try out for Quidditch," Giles said.

Buffy nodded.  "Yeah, I figure with five positions open I may as well at least try.  Harry said he'd teach me to fly when he gets back to school.  I'm trying to convince Hermione to try out as well, but she doesn't seem too thrilled by the idea.  It'd be cool though.  Me, Harry, Ron and Hermione all on the team."

Willow felt a pang of jealousy rush through her, followed by a stab of guilt.  She was jealous of the way that Buffy spoke of her new friends, and was guilty that she couldn't just be happy that Buffy had found such loyal friends, especially after everything that had happened to the tiny blonde girl.  

"You four get in enough trouble on the ground as it is," interjected another Professor.  "I'd hate to see the four of you in the air together."

Buffy pouted and grinned at the Professor who had spoken.  "Aw, come on Professor McGonagall.  We're not _that_ bad.  And from what I've heard, those three got in far more trouble before I arrived."

McGonagall smiled indulgently and nodded.  "Exactly why they don't need any more help in that area."

Buffy just laughed and put on her most innocent expression.  "It's not _all _my fault."

"You managed to get Malfoy and Potter speaking civilly to each other though," Giles interjected.  "That in itself is worthy of a medal."

Buffy grinned and popped a grape into her mouth before replying.  "I wasn't about to have my cousin and my boyfriend being all fighty around each other.  It woulda got annoying after awhile."

"After four years, I think the word 'annoying' falls slightly short," McGonagall said with a small smile.  

The conversations continued, the Professors sharing knowledge and anecdotes about students, past and present.  Willow just listened and laughed at some of the mischief that the students managed to get up to, the names Fred and George Weasley nearly as often as Ron, Harry and Hermione's names.  

When they'd finished eating, Buffy turned to look at her friend, a grin on her face.  "Wanna see by room?"

Willow nodded, and the two girls bounded out of the Great Hall, arm-in-arm, chatting happily.  Giles watched them leave, smiling to see his young charge looking so happy.  She had been depressed for too much of the previous school year, and he could only hope that this year would be far better for her.

----

I know I know, still short, but…eh.  It's the establishing chapters.  They do get longer, honest.  Oh, and I know a lot of people are wondering about my fic 'What You Did' and it WILL get updated, but sadly I'm sick as a dog right now and can barely type properly so I'm having problems writing the next chapters.  My apologies, but hopefully it will be updated within the next few days.  

Toodles.


	5. The Two Willows

CHAPTER FIVE: THE TWO WILLOWS

Buffy didn't know how he managed it, but Professor Dumbledore managed to intercept she and Willow before she could make it to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"Miss Summers," Professor Dumbledore greeted her.  "There's someone who is eager to see you and to meet Miss Rosenburg."

Buffy looked at the Headmaster curiously, trying to read his expression.  She had never been able to work out what Dumbledore was thinking, but she knew that whomever it was that wanted to see her, it wasn't a bad thing.  Buffy and Willow exchanged curious glances and shrugged nonchalantly, following Dumbledore to the Entrance Hall.

They walked down the marble stairs into the large open space.  Buffy gasped and ran across the room to where a girl stood conversing with Giles.

"Hermione!" Buffy yelled.

Hermione turned and found herself being nearly barrelled over by Buffy's enthusiastic greeting.  The two girls hugged tightly, Hermione excited to see her other best friend, the first female best friend she'd ever had.

"What are you doing here?" Buffy asked.

"The same thing you are," Hermione replied.  "Dumbeldore figured that the two of us should work together to complete our sixth and seventh years together."

Buffy's eyes lit with excitement.  "Are you serious?"

Hermione nodded and the girls hugged again.  Buffy pulled back and Hermione's eyes were drawn to the redhead lingering behind Buffy.  Buffy looked to see what had drawn Hermione's attention. She grinned and put her hand out to Willow, gesturing for her to join them.

"Hermione, this is Willow Rosenburg, my best from Sunnydale.  Wills, this is Hermione Granger, my best friend from Hogwarts," Buffy introduced the two girls.

They shook hands politely.

Hermione regarded the girl curiously.  She looked to Buffy.  "Isn't that your owls name?"

Buffy nodded and laughed sheepishly.  "Yup.  A piece of home in Hogwarts."

"Your owl?" Willow repeated curiously.

Buffy nodded.  "Mode of communication.  Kinda like postmen, but with owls."

Dumbledore joined the small group and looked between the three girls.

"Perhaps you could help Miss Granger up to her room with her luggage," the Headmaster suggested.  "Miss Rosenburg, if you'd like to stay the evening here at Hogwarts, you'd be more than welcome."

Buffy turned to look at her friend, hope in her eyes.  Willow smiled and nodded, "thank you Professor," she said politely.

Dumbledore nodded and turned to Giles, the two of them loosing themselves in conversation.  Buffy looked between her two best friends, nearly bouncing with excitement.

"Let's go."

------------------------

Willow was led into the Gryffindor Common Room, her eyes comically wide as she took in the large open space decorated in red and gold.  She was completely fascinated by the moving portraits and the secret passwords, not to mention the ghosts that popper up every now and then.  Buffy helped Hermione lug her trunk up the stairs to the girl's dormitory.  Willow walked in first, Buffy close on her heels, wanting to see Willow's wide-eyed reaction to the place.

Hermione and Buffy set the trunk down at the foot of Hermione's bed as Willow wandered towards the window that over-looked the grounds.  A soft hooting startled her, and she turned to see what had caused it.  She smiled when she saw a small orangey-red owl on a perch beside Buffy's bed.

She walked towards it and gently stroked the small creature.  Buffy moved to stand next to her, touching the owl that had kept her company on many sleepless evenings.

"This is Willow," Buffy said, smiling at her best friend.  "She got named after one of my favourite Sunnydale people."

Willow smiled and turned to look at Buffy, tears in both their eyes.  They hugged fiercely and Hermione couldn't help but smile at the display.  It was good to see her best friend smiling again.  It hadn't been a regular occurrence the previous year.

Hermione quickly organised her belongings, unpacking book after book and placing them on her desk.  She noticed Willow edging towards the books with a curious look on her face.  Willow noticed Hermione looking at her and gestured towards the books.

"Would you mind if I-" 

"No, please, go ahead," Hermione replied.

Willow nearly jumped at the chance to look through spell books and magic books and Buffy smiled at the excitement on Willow's face.  She wondered whether or not Willow's type of magic would be compatible with the wand magic they learnt at Hogwarts.  Then again, Buffy had been teaching herself the art of Wiccan Magic as well, so hopefully she and Willow would be able to teach each other.

"Goddess I'm so jealous!" Willow exclaimed, looking up from perusing the Standard Book of Spells.  "You're actually _taught _magic.  I would have killed to have had a teacher last year."

"You do magic?" Hermione asked with interest.

"Just simple Wicca," Willow replied.  "Floating pencils, fire from ice.  Which you really shouldn't try while you're sitting on the bedspread."

Hermione and Buffy grinned, unable to help but laugh.  Willow was definitely exactly as Buffy had described her the previous year.

"I'll keep that in mind," Hermione replied with a grin.

"So, 'Mione, did you see Ron in the holidays?" Buffy asked with a teasing grin.

Hermione went bright red and Buffy grinned at her friend, shaking her head and laughing.  

"I'll take that as a yes then shall I?" Buffy asked.

Hermione nodded happily.  "Yes I saw him.  His family were so great about us being together.  Well, with the exception of Fred and George of course, but what can you expect from them?"

"God it's gonna be dull without those two here this year," Buffy complained.  She noticed Willow's confused look.  "Fred and George are Ron's older brothers.  They're twins, and they just graduated.  They're absolutely hilarious.  Like Xander, but far, far, _far_ worse."

"Speaking of boys…have you seen Harry at all?" Hermione asked.

Buffy shook her head sadly.  She had definitely missed him during her month long stay in London with her mother, her aunt and Draco.  

"Nope.  We've been owling each other though.  Draco tried hijacking his letters the first couple of times," Buffy said with a laugh.

"He ended up bruised, didn't he?" Hermione asked.

Buffy gave a mock-scandalised look and shook her head.  "No!  Of course not!  What kind of a cousin do you take me for?  I'm not that mean."

Hermione and Willow gave her identical sceptical looks and Buffy couldn't help but laugh.  This was what shed been missing the year before, her friends from Sunnydale.  It was so hard to believe that she hadn't seen Willow in a year, yet she still felt so comfortable with her old best friend.

------------------------

The three girls chatted well into the evening, crawling into the four-poster beds at around three in the morning, and not rising again until nearly noon.  When they stumbled into the Great Hall, they found their Professors already eating lunch.

Giles looked at them, one eyebrow raised in a gesture that Willow hadn't even realised that she'd missed.  

"Don't tell me that the three of you are only just getting up," Giles said.

Buffy, Hermione and Willow glanced at each other and shrugged, taking their seats at the table and digging into the food.  Buffy noticed that Snape was glaring at them more than usual, though that could have been because she, Willow and Hermione were making more noise than Buffy usually made by herself.  Buffy just forced herself to ignore him though.

Of course, that approach didn't work as effectively when Snape finished eating lunch and came to stand in front of the three girls.

"You're tutoring shall begin today," Snape said coldly.  He cast an annoyed look at Willow who tried not to shrink under his glare.  She hadn't been raised on the hellmouth for nothing, and she refused to back away from the challenge.

"Yes sir," Buffy replied evenly.  "Where and when?"

"Three o'clock, beginning with Potions.  I believe you know where my classroom is," he said with a sneer.

Buffy fought to not glare at him.

"We'll be there."

"On time I hope," Snape warned.

"With bells on even," Buffy said before she could stop herself.

Hermione went pale, but Willow fought to keep her laughter to herself.

Snape leant in close to the girls, towering over Buffy.  She met his gaze steadily.  "You are still a student here Elizabeth Riddle.  I don't care how much power you have, but you will treat me with the respect that I deserve.  Understand?"

"I'm sorry sir," Buffy said softly.

Snape straightened and stalked off.  Buffy shook her head, rolling her eyes.  She couldn't believe that he'd let him provoke her like that.  She knew that Snape would look for any excuse to take off house points from Gryffindor.

Willow looked between Buffy and Hermione.  "I might need to revise that whole jealousy thing."

-----

Awww…no more Willow for a while.  *sighs* A lot of ppl have asked for Xander to come in…well, I'm 19 chaps in and have no real way to introduce him just yet.  I'm trying to work him in, but it doesn't seem to be working just yet.  We'll see.  No guarantees.  

SNEAK PREVIEW:

_Percy just eyed Buffy coldly.  She met his gaze steadily, forcing herself not to look away.  _

_"I will never trust his daughter," Percy said coldly._

Buffy at the Burrow.  

Toodles.


	6. The Visit

CHAPTER SIX: THE VISIT

For the most part, the lessons that Hermione and Buffy were taking were actually fairly interesting. Both girls seemed to catch onto what they were being taught with ease, and Buffy found herself immensely grateful that Hermione had wanted to take on the extra load of work as well.  

Most of the Professors were only too happy to give help to the two enthusiastic sixth year girls.  Snape, of course, was reluctant about it.  Oh, he would help of course, but he would choose the hardest potions that were learnt by seventh years and expect them to complete them perfectly.  And of course, if even the slightest of mistakes were made, he would yell at them and tell them that they had no right trying to learn sixth and seventh years in one block.

But Buffy and Hermione were not to be discouraged.  They pored over books and texts, potions and charms, spells and jinxes until they thought that their eyes would fall out of their sockets from reading too much.

Of course, reading and studying twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, can get incredibly tiring.  Four weeks after beginning their tutoring, Buffy and Hermione found themselves moping due to missing their significant others.

After much pleading with Giles and Dumbledore, Buffy and Hermione were given permission to apparate to the Burrow, where Harry was staying with Ron.  The girls couldn't have been more excited about it.  They each packed a bag with a weeks worth of clothes, and said their goodbyes to the Professors.  Most of them were grateful for the break away from the girls.  It wasn't as though they didn't enjoy teaching the girls, and they were definitely grateful to have two bright students who were serious about studying, but they too needed a break, even though term hadn't started yet.

"You ready?" Buffy asked, holding onto Hermione's hand.

Hermione gave a nervous nod.  She hadn't ever apparated with Buffy before, and even though she knew that her best friend could do it, she was still somewhat apprehensive.  She'd heard horror stories of people being splinched, with parts left behind if an apparition went badly.

She closed her eyes and felt the world spin around her.  When her eyes opened, she smiled widely.  

"Ron!" 

Ron turned, a wide grin on his face.  He raced towards the two girls, barely sparing a second to grin at Buffy before he threw himself at Hermione, kissing her fiercely.  Buffy smirked and turned away, looking for her own boyfriend.

She gasped as she nearly ran into him.  Her eyes went wide and she felt her mouth water.  In the two months that they hadn't seen each other, Harry had shot up another inch or so, and he'd lost what little was left of his puppy fat.  His eyes were still as gorgeous as ever, and his permanently messy hair gave him a scruffy and sexy look.  Added to that, he obviously hadn't shaved, and there was a fine layer of stubble on his chin.

Following Ron's example, she threw herself at Harry, who caught her and returned the kiss with equal enthusiasm.  Breathless, they finally pulled away.

"You look…just, wow," Buffy said.

Harry grinned self-consciously and held his girlfriend close.  "I could say the same about you," he replied quietly, his breath tickling her ear, sending shivers down Buffy's spine.  

Suddenly, from behind them, came two simultaneous mock-retching sounds.  The foursome turned to glare at Fred and George, who had wide grins on their faces.

"Awww…it's so cute," Fred mocked.  

"Ickle Ronnikins, and wittle Harry," George continued.

Buffy just laughed.  She stepped out of Harry's arms and gave each of the twins a hug.  She'd definitely missed their antics, even if they _did_ drive her crazy half the time.  

"It's good to see you guys again," Buffy said.

"Same to you Buffy," Fred said, an oddly sincere note in his voice.

"So," Hermione said.  "Where's everyone else?"

"Well, Percy's at work," Ron began.

"Oh Mr Fudge, may I lick your boots," George said, in an accurate Percy-voice, filled with stuffiness and self-importance.

"Charlie's still in Romania, Bill and dad are at work as well.  Ginny's around here somewhere, and mum-"

"RON!  WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT LEAVING YOUR BROOM IN THE YARD!"

Ron sighed.  He knew he'd forgotten to do something.

Buffy looked to her friend, her eyebrows raised.  The tips of Ron's ears went red.  He'd forgotten that Buffy had never met his mother or his three other brothers.  

A plump red-haired woman came into the kitchen, her face still full of fury.  She immediately softened when she saw Hermione and Buffy.

"Oh Hermione," Mrs Weasley gushed.  "It's wonderful to see you again.  I'd clean forgotten that you and your friend were coming today."

Hermione hugged the woman, still incredibly grateful that Mrs Weasley hadn't begun hating her just because she'd started dating Ron.  If anything, it had made Mrs Weasley even more protective of her.

Mrs Weasley turned to Buffy, and her face went pale.  Buffy stiffened and Harry stepped forward, putting a calming hand on the small of her back.  Buffy relaxed against him, but kept her eyes on Mrs Weasley.  She'd been getting this reaction wherever she went unless she was in a muggle populated area, and after a month at Hogwarts, she'd nearly forgotten that most of the wizarding world was somewhat terrified of her.

"Mrs Weasley, I'd like you to meet my girlfriend, Buffy Summers," Harry said calmly.

"Girlfriend?" Mrs Weasley repeated.

Buffy stepped forward slowly, her hand stretched out to the older woman.  Mrs Weasley hesitated for another moment, before taking a deep breath and shaking Buffy's hand.

"It's nice to meet you Mrs Weasley," Buffy said quietly.  "I've heard a lot about you from Ron and Ginny.  And the twins as well, but I've learned not to trust anything they say."

"Oi!" Fred called out indignantly.

"We're trustworthy!" George continued.

"We're the trustworthiest people-" "That you've ever met."  "Well, except when we hand out sweets…" "Or wands…" "Or parchment…" "Or quills…"

Buffy grinned.  "So apart from all that, I should trust you," she concluded.

The twins shared a look, turned back to Buffy and nodded decisively.  "Yes!"

Mrs Weasley took in the way her family was interacting with Buffy.  She did have to admit that she was incredibly frightened of Buffy Summers.  She'd read the reports in the papers about who she was, and what had happened between herself and Lord Voldemort.  Knowing that a seventeen-year-old girl had taken down the most feared wizard in the world, and that she just so happened to be related to him, made Molly Weasley somewhat afraid. 

But seeing her teasing Fred and George, and hugging Harry, she couldn't help but wonder about the other side of the fence.  She saw Buffy as Voldemort's daughter, but, being a mother, she wondered what the girl was truly like.  What she had felt when she'd discovered who she was related to.  She felt a pang of sadness run through her, and a desire to help this girl.

"I'm sure Buffy and Hermione must be hungry after their trip," Mrs Weasley announced, easily taking on the position of matriarch.  "Some food perhaps."

Neither Buffy nor Hermione were about to turn the woman down, so they just nodded enthusiastically.  Harry leant forward to mutter something in Buffy's ear.

"Yeah, real long trip Summers," he whispered, again making her skin tingle.  "It took, what, all of three seconds?"

"Four," she whispered back.

He grinned and sat beside her at the table.  

Ginny came rushing in from outside, stopping suddenly when she saw the two extra people at the table.  She gave them both enthusiastic hugs and sat opposite them, trying to keep out of reach of Fred and George who seemed to want nothing more than to torture their youngest sibling.

"Hermione, you and Buffy are staying in my room," Ginny explained.  "I hope you don't mind – Fred!  Stop it! – I hope you guys don't mind sleeping on the floor."

"It's fine Gin," Buffy said through her laughter.  

"Or," George began mischievously, "we can have Gin in with us, give Ron Gin's room, and let Harry and Buffy have Ron's room."

"George!" The surround-sound telling off came from Hermione, Mrs Weasley, Ginny and Ron.

"You're such a git," Ron muttered, the tips of his ears turning bright red, as they often did whenever he was highly embarrassed.

Harry just grinned.  He always found himself smiling a lot whenever he was at the Weasley house.  There was so much craziness in the Burrow that he always wondered what it would have been like to have grown up in a house like this one.  There had never been laughter and playfulness at the Dursley's.

"Ron just doesn't want us shagging in his bed," Harry commented, leaning in to Buffy, but loud enough so everyone could hear him.

The twins howled with laughter, and Harry pressed a kiss to Buffy's now-red cheek.  She and Harry had never actually discussed taking their relationship further than some incredibly intense making out sessions, but the thought of sleeping with Harry was making her brain do strange flip-flops.

"Harry Potter, you are completely incorrigible," Mrs Weasley chastised.

"And proud of it," Harry replied with a grin.

------------------------

Evening fell, and Buffy's cheeks were aching from all the smiling and laughing that had happened over the last few hours.  She was suddenly very much looking forward to being back at Hogwarts with all of the other students.  She'd forgotten how crazy being with people her own age could be.  

Just as the seven teenagers were about to go outside to catch the last of the sunlight in order to play quidditch, they were distracted by two pops that sounded within seconds of each other.

"Hey dad," the twins greeted simultaneously.  "Good evening Percy." "Smashing to see you again."  "Positively corking."

Buffy grinned.  She'd heard so much about Percy Weasley, and she had to admit that she had wanted to meet their third eldest brother.  

He looked very little like the other Weasley's.  He had horn-rimmed glasses and a mop of curly red-hair.  He held himself in a stiff upright manner that spoke of someone who thought very highly of himself.

"Really you two, must you always be so antagonistic?" Percy asked.

Buffy just smirked.  She now understood why Harry, Ron and Hermione always cracked up whenever Fred and George did impersonations of Percy.  They hadn't been exaggerating.

Percy suddenly turned his attention to the others.  His eyes drifted over Ron, Harry and Hermione.  They came to rest on Buffy and Percy completely paled.  He took a step back and reached for his wand.

"Percy?" Mr Weasley asked, seeing his son reaching into his robes.  

Percy's wand came out and he pointed it towards Buffy.

"What the hell do you think you're doing you great git?!" Ron yelled, stepping forward, reaching for his own wand.

"Don't even think about cursing her!" Fred agreed.

"Guys, stop," Buffy said quietly.

Ron and Fred stepped back down.  They kept their hands on their wands and their eyes on Percy, but they knew enough about Buffy to realise that she didn't like other people fighting her battles.

Mr Weasley turned to look at Buffy.  "Good lord."

Buffy sighed and felt tears well in her eyes.  She'd forgotten how much this had bothered her.  She turned to look at Harry.

"Maybe I should go," she whispered.

"No," he replied firmly.  He turned to look at Percy and Mr Weasley.  "I don't think you've been properly introduced.  Buffy, this is Percy and Arthur Weasley."

"Good to meet you both," Buffy said quietly.

Mr Weasley bravely stepped forward and shook the girls hand.  She smiled softly at him and Mr Weasley knew, just from looking into her eyes, that this girl would never harm him or any of his children.  "It's a pleasure Buffy.  Harry and Ron speak very highly of you."

"Oh, I wouldn't believe all of it," Buffy said with a smile, thankful that she could at least relax around Mr Weasley.  He seemed like an incredibly decent man.

Percy couldn't believe that his father was actually talking to her.  When he'd heard and read about Voldemort's daughter being admitted to Hogwarts, he'd been completely outraged.  He'd heard Cornelius Fudge's complaints about the girl, and about how dangerous it was to have her at the school, and Percy had to agree with the Minister of Magic.  Power was dangerous, and this small girl who held more power than Dumbledore and Voldemort was not someone that could be trusted.

"Are we sure we can trust her?" Percy asked coldly.

Fred and George rolled their eyes.  "Yes Percy."

Percy just eyed Buffy coldly.  She met his gaze steadily, forcing herself not to look away.  

"I will never trust _his_ daughter," Percy said coldly.

There was a sudden burst of noise from practically everyone in the room.  Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, Hermione and Harry were all protesting on Buffy's behalf.  Buffy just stayed silent.  Mr and Mrs Weasley looked highly uncomfortable, and Mrs Weasley felt her heart break for the young girl who looked oddly vulnerable.

Ron suddenly wolf-whistled, bringing everyone to complete silence.  

"Alright, listen up!" he said loudly.  "Let's all just calm down."

"Buffy…you are very welcome to stay here," Mrs Weasley said kindly.

"What?!" Percy yelped.

Buffy gave Mrs Weasley a half-smile.  "I appreciate that."

Percy glowered at her.  He couldn't believe that his family was so naïve as to take in someone who could kill them all with very little effort.  He'd heard the rumours at the Ministry about the girl, and how she was feared above all other witches and wizards.  

"Unfortunately, I don't think I can take you up on your offer," Buffy continued.

Harry looked at his girlfriend incredulously.  "Buffy-"

She just shook her head.  She turned slightly and pressed a quick and chaste kiss to his lips.  

"I'm not about to make someone uncomfortable in their own home.  I'll see you guys tomorrow morning," she promised.

"He leaves for work at eight," one of the twins informed her.

Buffy grinned.  "Just leave me some breakfast," she teased.

The twins saluted her.  Hermione and Ginny looked at her with sad eyes.  Ron was glaring daggers at Percy, and Harry looked as though someone had just kicked his puppy.

"You really don't have to leave," Mr Weasley said.

"It's cool.  It was nice meeting you sir," she said.

With a quick pop she had disapparated.  Ginny was the first to approach Percy.  She slapped him hard across the cheek.  

No one reprimanded her.

-----

The chaps tend to get longer the further I get in.  Not sure why.  

And yeah, I know we're about six chaps in and nothings really happened yet.  It will get there, honest.  ;)

Toodles.


	7. The Advice

CHAPTER SEVEN: THE ADVICE

"Buffy?" Giles asked, the confusion evident in his voice.  "What are you doing back here?"

Buffy turned to look at her mentor, tears in her eyes.  She wiped at her eyes angrily.  She couldn't believe how badly the day had turned out.  One of the best days since the holidays had started and it had been completely ruined because of who her father was.  Again.  

"Long story," she whispered quietly, afraid that if she began to go into detail she would begin sobbing.  

Giles took one look at her eyes and sighed.  He had wondered whether her visit with the Weasley's would end badly.  Obviously his worries hadn't been unfounded.

"I take it things went badly at the Weasley's," he said quietly.

Buffy breathed in a shuddering breath and nodded.  "It wasn't all bad," she admitted.  "Mr and Mrs Weasley are really nice, but…Percy, he…well, like you said, it went badly."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

"If you don't mind, I'm just gonna go to bed.  I'm kinda wiped," she explained.

He nodded and watched her go, feeling his own heart clenching in sympathetic sorrow.  He had hoped that the Weasley's would have been more accommodating, but he'd obviously forgotten to take into account what Percy Weasley would think and do.  He could only hope that the coming year wouldn't be as stressful as the previous year had been, but if this event at the Burrow was any indication, Giles was fairly certain that his hopes were unfounded.

------------------------

Buffy awoke after having cried herself to sleep the evening before.  She'd had trouble falling asleep and had woken up several times during the evening.  When dawn had rolled around, and she'd lain in bed trying to fall back to sleep with no luck, she finally rolled out of bed, donned a pair of jeans, a jumper and a warm jacket, and made her way outside.

She seated herself by the lake, content to warm herself in the early morning sun, watching the various inhabitants of the lake jumping in and out of the water gleefully.  

"Miss Summers," a quiet voice said behind her.

She turned, somewhat startled.  She knew she shouldn't have been surprised, but Professor Dumbledore had a knack of sneaking up behind her.  

"Morning Professor," she greeted tiredly, turning her attention back to the lake.

Dumbledore somehow managed to gracefully settle himself beside her.  She would never know if he'd sat cross-legged or on his knees, his robes covering his legs completely.  She was somewhat surprised that the Headmaster of the school was out here seated beside her on the still dew-covered grass.

"Will you be returning to the Burrow?" he asked.

"You heard about what happened then?" she replied.

He nodded, an oddly serious expression on his face and in his eyes.  It was very rare for him to be so serious, but she could tell that he was upset by something.  She just hoped it wasn't anything that she had done.

"I heard.  Young Mr Weasley, I'm afraid, was influenced by Minister Fudge's opinions all of last year.  And, as you know, Minister Fudge was…"

"Not one of my biggest fans," Buffy finished for him.  "Yeah, I know."

"I had hoped that Percy would have looked beyond all that," Dumbledore said, a disapproving note in his voice.  

"I get why he's afraid," Buffy said sadly.  "And I'm kinda used to it now, but…"

"It still hurts," he concluded.

Buffy nodded and wiped away a tear.  

"I'd hoped that everyone would be over the whole fear thing by now," she confided.  "I just…when are they gonna trust me?"

"That, unfortunately, is anyone's guess," he replied.  

"Did I do the right thing?" she asked.  "Leaving I mean?  Should I have stayed and proven that I wasn't gonna kill everyone at the Burrow in their sleep?"

Dumbledore considered his answer carefully.  On one hand, leaving had shown that she wasn't trying to make life for the Weasley's difficult.  On the other hand, it looked as though she had run from a situation where she had the potential to lose control, thereby almost showing a lack of trust in herself.

"I doubt that Percy Weasley would have had even an iota of sleep had you stayed," Dumbledore replied.  "And given your options, perhaps it _was_ best for you to return to Hogwarts."

Buffy flinched noticeably.  She hadn't really wanted to hear that from the Headmaster.  She didn't really know what she wished to be told, but it hadn't been that.

"However, I do have to tell you that you will not be welcome at Hogwarts this evening," Dumbledore said, the sparkle returning to his eyes.

Buffy turned to look at him, a question in her eyes and on her lips.  "What?"

Dumbledore chuckled a little and gave her the smile that she was so used to by now.

"This evening you are to stay at the Burrow," he explained.  "I am effectively banning you from coming back to Hogwarts this evening."

Buffy smirked and shook her head.  "I'm trying to work out whether to be horribly offended, or if I should just shut up and thank you."

"Miss Summers, the only way that you will ever get through life in the wizarding world as Voldemort's daughter is if you make people trust you.  And whilst the option of leaving to make people more comfortable is somewhat noble, you will find yourself being trodden on," he advised.  "To make people trust you, you have to give them a reason _to_ trust you.  By leaving, you're effectively taking yourself away from a situation, rather than staying and helping others realise that you are your own person, and absolutely _nothing_ like your father."

Buffy took a moment to allow the words to sink in.  She had to admit, Dumbledore did always seem to give the best advice.  And his advice did make sense.  She would never earn people's trust if she wasn't around long enough to earn it.  She nodded and gave the headmaster a half-smile.

"Thanks Professor," she said, her voice significantly more cheery than it had been at the beginning of the discussion.

He nodded and stood up, moving far more gracefully than a man of his age had any right to.  

"Now, if I'm not much mistaken, the Weasley's will be just sitting down to breakfast," he said with a smile.

She grinned and nodded.  Within the blink of an eye, and with a small cracking sound, Buffy Summers disapparated from the Hogwarts grounds.

------------------------

Buffy stood outside the door to the Weasley's house.  From the sounds of it, everyone in the house was already up.  She listened carefully, wanting to make sure that Percy was nowhere to be seen.  She couldn't hear his voice, so she assumed it to be fairly safe.  

She let herself into the house, grinning at the people who sat around the kitchen table, most of them still in their pyjamas.

"Morning all," she greeted.

"Buffy!" nearly everyone cried out simultaneously.

Harry jumped to his feet, engulfing his girlfriend in an extremely tight hug.  He'd been somewhat worried that she wouldn't turn up for the day after what had happened the night before, and to say that he was extremely relieved to see her now was an understatement.

"You came," he whispered.

She gave him a smile and a nipping kiss to his lips.  "Of course I came.  I had to come and see my favourite boyfriend."

He frowned slightly.  "I hope I'm your only boyfriend," he said, his voice low, nearly a growl.

She just smiled impishly at him and dragged him back to the table, seating herself between Harry and Hermione.  

"How goes things here?" she asked casually.

Fred and George gave her identical (strangely enough) looks of confusion.  "How can you be so calm?" Fred asked.

Buffy just shrugged.  "Well, you did warn me that Percy was a git."

They both cracked a smile and Ron, Ginny, Harry and Hermione breathed sighs of relief.   

Mrs Weasley came bustling into the kitchen.  "Oh Buffy, I'm so glad you could make it," she said warmly, smiling at the blonde girl.  "You must be starving."

Buffy just sat back and let Mrs Weasley serve her up a plate of bacon and eggs, grinning the entire time.  There was just something about the motherly nature of Mrs Weasley that Buffy couldn't help but think was absolutely adorable.  Her own mom –_Joyce Summers…not mom_, she reminded herself- had been similar.  Her real mom, Sara Lanstone, was not the matronly type, though Buffy supposed it was because she'd never really had to raise any children.  Her own child had been taken from her, and she'd missed out on having to raise a child from birth.

"Thanks Mrs Weasley," Buffy said gratefully as she began eating the plateful of food.

"I'm so sorry about Percy, dear," Mrs Weasley said, giving the girl a sad look.  "He really didn't mean anything by it."

"It's cool," Buffy said.  "Honestly.  And, yeah, he meant it, but it's okay.  If I have to earn his trust, then that's what I'll do."

Mrs Weasley looked at the girl in shock.  

"That's an awfully mature decision."

"Well, I won't take full credit for it," Buffy said with a smile.  "A very wise wizard told me that if people aren't going to trust me, I'd just have to suck it up and keep on going, regardless of what they thought of me."

"Was that Professor Giles or Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Dumbledore of course," Buffy replied.

---

Many thanks for the feedback!!

K.


	8. The Talk

CHAPTER EIGHT: THE TALK

Hermione and Buffy both felt incredibly free for the first time since starting their advanced lessons within Hogwarts.  Being away from the school and back with their friends was balm to their already exhausted souls, and they couldn't have been happier.  With both of them in the arms of their respective boyfriends, they were completely and utterly content.

Of course, Hermione's contentment didn't last as long, considering she had her three best friends nagging her on the same topic: trying out for the Gryffindor Quidditch Team.  She had never been an accomplished flier, and she was fairly certain she never would be.  But Ron, Harry and Buffy were all very adamant about the brown-haired girl at least trying out for one of the vacant positions.  

"C'mon 'Mione," Harry pleaded for what seemed to be the fiftieth time in under an hour.  "You have to at least _try_ to get on the team."

"Or at least get on the broom," Ron added.

Hermione was close to giving in.  Not about trying out for Quidditch, but for at least getting on the broom.  Even in first year, during Flying Lessons, she'd never been a very accomplished flier.  She'd passed the class of course, but she'd never really caught onto the finer techniques of handling the broomstick.  And considering the Flying Lessons were only for the first term of the First Year, she'd never really been on a broom after that.  

Ron could see his girlfriend's hesitation.  He sighed and moved to stand behind her, placing his hands on her curvy hips.

"Please Hermione?" he whispered softly, his voice a gentle caress across the back of her neck, sending delicious shivers up and down her spine.

Buffy and Harry just grinned at each other, amused by Ron's tactics of trying to get Hermione up in the air.  

Hermione sighed happily and melted back into Ron's embrace.  She nodded and allowed Ron to help her onto a broomstick, correcting the position of her hands.  

Buffy turned her attention back to Harry, more interested in what Harry could teach her about flying than what Ron and Hermione were doing.

"So…what's the what here?" Buffy asked.

Harry grinned.  He'd forgotten how much he loved hearing Buffy's strange way of phrasing things.  He stepped in front of her, their faces only inches apart, the both of them losing their breaths as they got caught up in their staring match.  Slowly, Harry brought his lips down to meet Buffy's, the Firebolt lying on the ground beside them, completely forgotten.  Several moments later, they were startled out of their moment by the loud and unsubtle coughing of Ron, who was just grinning at his two friends.

"You're meant to be teaching the girl to fly, mate, not teaching her what the inside of your mouth is like," Ron said.

"Ew," Buffy complained, glaring at the redheaded boy.  "Gross much?"

Harry, his cheeks slightly flushed and his chest rising erratically as he fought to catch his breath, chose not to say anything.  Instead, he stood behind Buffy, mimicking Ron's earlier position behind Hermione.

"Alright, you already proved you can get the broom to come up to you," Harry said, thinking back to earlier, before Hermione had agreed to join in on their flying lesson.  "So…what you have to do now is mount your broom.  Make sure you've got a nice firm grip on the handle.  Knees together…you don't want to be sliding off it."

Buffy couldn't help it.  She knew that Harry was talking about the broom, and flying, but with Harry's hands around her waist, and her heart still fluttering wildly in her chest, she couldn't help but hear the double entendre of his words.  The giggle burst from her mouth, leaving Harry wildly confused.

Ron and Hermione looked over to them, Hermione joining in Buffy's laughter, while Ron and Harry looked at their girlfriends as though they'd gone completely and utterly insane.

"What's so funny?" Harry demanded.

"You!" Hermione choked out.

"You were talking about flying, right?" Buffy managed to get out in between giggles and snorts of laughter.

Harry stared at her in confusion.  He thought back to what he'd been instructing Buffy to do, trying to see the funny side of it.  Realisation finally caught up and he went a bright shade of red, instantly dropping his hands from Buffy's waist.  He took a step back.  Ron seemed to catch on as well, guffawing loudly at the sight of Harry's utter horror.

Except, it wasn't horror that Harry was feeling.  Ever since before the final Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match, and their impromptu make-out session in Harry's room (per Seamus's request for them to 'get a room') Harry had been thinking about Buffy non-stop.  He'd never really felt like this towards anyone before. His brief infatuation with Cho had been more innocent.  He'd never entertained the thoughts about Cho that he had been having about Buffy.  And the thoughts that he was thinking was enough to leave him gasping for breath, and in need of a cold shower.  

"I…it wasn't…I wasn't coming onto you," Harry stuttered.

Buffy pouted and gave him playful puppy-dog eyes.  "Why not?"

Ron cackled with laughter.  If it was possible, Harry turned an even brighter shade of red.  He mumbled something under his breath about teasing wenches and ran a hand over his hot face.  He couldn't take it anymore, and he quickly turned and made his way back to the Burrow.

Buffy, Ron and Hermione all looked at each other in shock, their laughter and mirth completely gone.  Buffy took off after her boyfriend without a word to her two other friends, who wisely did not follow.

------------------------

"Harry!  Wait!"

Harry didn't really know what had happened.  He couldn't really explain why he'd had the urge to take off, but he had known that he couldn't stand to be there any longer.  But, fortunately (or unfortunately, he couldn't tell which) Buffy was somewhat faster than himself.  She managed to catch up with him in no time, snagging his arm to keep him from walking away from her.

"Harry, please," she said, her voice quiet and upset.  "I didn't mean to…I wasn't trying to…I mean, I know that it's probably too soon, and…I mean, you're only sixteen so, I get why you wouldn't want…but I was just-"

He cut off her rambling with a deep and passionate kiss, effectively shutting her up.  She felt herself relax and sink into him, thankful that he hadn't let her completely embarrass herself.  He reluctantly pulled back and bent down to lean his forehead against hers.

"It wasn't you," he whispered.  "I wasn't…I mean I'm not offended or anything."

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief.  She was just grateful that she hadn't managed to completely drive him away from her.

"What's wrong then?" she asked gently.

He breathed in deeply, not really sure on how to answer the question.

"It's just…god, Buffy, I just want you so badly," he admitted.  

Whatever Buffy had been expecting, it really hadn't been that.  

"You're all I bloody think about.  I dream about you at night, you're always on my mind, and then when we joke about it, and you flirt with me…I never know whether to take it seriously or not," he admitted.

Buffy swallowed hard.  She'd never really had to have any discussions about sex with Angel.  They're one and only time together hadn't been thought out or rationalised.  Of course, she couldn't forget how badly that had ended.  But she knew that if things between herself and Harry were going to continue, they would need to talk about it.

"Well, uh…would you…I mean, do you want to?" she asked quietly.

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  He nodded quietly and forced himself to look at his girlfriend as he answered.

"I want to."

It was the answer that she'd been expecting and still it took her breath away.  The thought of the two of them sleeping together made something inside of her tremble, a delicious warmth settling inside her blood, travelling through her veins and thrilling every part of her.

"Wow," she whispered.

He couldn't help but smile.  "Wow indeed.  Uh…would you?  Want to?  With me?"

"Yeah," she replied breathlessly.

A grin broke out on Harry's face and he pulled Buffy flush against his chest, burying his face in her hair, breathing in the scent that was definitely Buffy's.  He could feel his heart racing in his chest, and could feel the matching heartbeat from Buffy.  They both knew that nothing could really happen between them at the Burrow.  Aside from their being absolutely no privacy in the hectic Weasley household, it was severely lacking in romance.

"God, I'm gonna sound like such a prat," Harry began, his voice shaking, his cheeks flaming bright red, "but…when?  Where?"

Buffy couldn't help but giggle.  "I was just wondering that too."

Harry breathed out a sigh of relief.  He was just grateful that Buffy didn't think he was some sex-crazed maniac who only wanted her for her body.

"I guess we'll just have to work out the details later," Buffy answered.  "I mean…we don't want to rush into anything."

"Right…rushing would be bad," Harry agreed.

"Not that I don't want to _rush_," Buffy qualified.  "But…we can't just…cos that would be bad."

Harry nodded and clung even more tightly to Buffy.  He breathed out deeply, relaxing his body.  He pressed a gentle kiss to Buffy's forehead, and just contented himself in the absolutely safe feeling he felt whenever he was with his girlfriend.

"Buffy?"

"Yeah?" 

He paused and swallowed hard.  He'd been wanting to say this to Buffy since Christmas Eve, but he'd never had the guts to do so.

"I love you."

Buffy pulled slightly back and looked him in the eyes.  She could read the love and nervousness looking out of Harry's emerald green eyes, and she smiled softly at him.  She pressed a gentle kiss to his lips and rested her forehead against his, loving the intense waves of giddiness that ran rampantly throughout her stomach.

"I love you too."

-----

Awww…mush.  I'm getting sappy in my old age. ;)  Should cheer you up after LISETTE's fricken update.  That girl is just EVIL!  ;)  Anyways…mega thanks for all reviews and stuff.

Toodles.

K.


	9. The Arrogance

CHAPTER NINE: THE ARROGANCE

When Percy returned back to the Burrow that evening, he made a point of greeting every single person by name, except for Buffy.  To Buffy's credit, she didn't rise to the occasion.  Instead, she rolled her eyes and sunk even further into Harry's embrace.

Every single one of the Weasley's and their guests glared at Percy, muttering beneath their breaths about him being a 'git' 'prat' 'wanker' or, in Ron's words, a 'gitty prat of a wanker'. 

As they sat down to dinner, Percy spoke loudly about how the Ministry was still searching for any rogue Death-Eaters, and that they would find them given enough time.  He spoke pointedly, even though no one was listening to him, the others making a point to scoff and try starting up their own conversations, rather than listen to him.

He was gazing at Buffy with a look that made her horrendously uncomfortable though.  She wasn't entirely worried about anything that Percy Weasley could actually do to her.  She had proven herself in duels the previous year, so she knew she'd be able to protect herself if Percy actually tried to do anything stupid, but the smug and arrogant look on his face told Buffy that Percy knew something about Buffy that Buffy herself didn't know.

And it was not a pleasant feeling.  She'd always hated being in the dark on things, especially things that concerned herself.

Later that evening as she lay on a conjured up mattress in Ginny's room beside Hermione, the three girls were talking in hushed voices.

"Do you think Percy knows something?" Buffy asked, hoping that she was just being paranoid.

"He was probably just being Percy," Hermione assured her best friend.  "He couldn't possibly know anything.  Not something that you should worry about at least."

Ginny however, made a sound to show her disagreement with Hermione.

"You don't know Percy the way I do," Ginny said, not to sound superior, but just to gently correct the person she considered a sister.  "He's a git, there's no denying that, but…he does have connections at the Ministry.  And if the Ministry is planning something, then…"

Buffy sighed as Ginny trailed off.  There was no real way for Ginny to really complete that sentence, and the unspoken portion of the sentence weighed heavily in Buffy's mind.

"Whatever it is, it's not going to be good," Buffy said.  "God, I just wish this was over.  Anyone know any spells that could be used to alter people's memories on a global scale?"

Hermione and Ginny chuckled a little, but they could hear the note of insecurity in Buffy's voice.  Their friend was worried, and that was never a good thing.  They too had hoped for Buffy's sake that the suspicion and distrust would have ended when Buffy had single-handedly killed Voldemort several months ago.  Apparently they'd been mistaken.

"Well, whatever happens," Hermione began, "we'll be right beside you.  All the way."

Buffy smiled in the darkness and closed her eyes tiredly.  "Thanks guys.  That really means a lot to me."

------------------------

A week at the Burrow had been exactly what Hermione and Buffy needed.  They felt rested and relaxed and ready to return to their advanced studies at Hogwarts.  With tearful goodbyes to Ron and Harry, and hugs to Ginny, Fred, George, Mr and Mrs Weasley, the two girls were back within Hogwarts grounds.

If it was possible, Snape seemed to be even more arrogant and assigning even harder potions for the girls to try and concoct, while the other teachers continued on in their usual patient way.  

Giles seemed keen to get Buffy back into a training regimen, and Hermione had to admit to being somewhat interested in what the 'Watcher' and 'Slayer' did.  After sitting in on several sessions, Hermione decided that she wanted to be taught some basic self defence moves.

Both Buffy and Giles had been reluctant, but after some serious pleading on Hermione's part, she had convinced them both to begin training her.

"No, Hermione, you're dropping your left shoulder," Giles chastised.

Hermione sighed, ran a hand through her sweaty hair and tried again.

"Better," he complimented her.  

Hermione shot a look to Buffy who was working at her own punching bag.  Hermione had to admit that her best friend truly had a knack for fighting and martial arts.  She'd never really considered the amount of effort needed to keep fit and be able to perform some of the moves that seemed to come to Buffy as almost second nature, but after trying to learn them herself, she had a new appreciation for the amount of training that Buffy had done over the years.

Their early morning runs around the Hogwarts grounds usually took an hour and a half.  Hermione had bullied Buffy into admitting that she was usually able to complete the run in under forty minutes, but she had slowed herself down to compensate for Hermione's speed.  

In the three weeks that they'd had between visiting the Burrow and the return of the students, both Buffy and Hermione had pushed themselves to their limits, both mentally and physically, and both felt ready to face any and all challenges that they were faced with.

"What do you think Harry and Ron will do if they make us leave at the end of the year?" Hermione wondered one morning just as they began on the path around the lake.

"Not sure," Buffy admitted.  "Hadn't really given it too much thought.  I mean, I'm just kinda assuming that Giles will be staying at Hogwarts to teach DADA, so…unless I actually get a real job, which…being who I am, I doubt is gonna happen, I'll probably end up being at Hogwarts for a while.  Maybe I could tutor first years or something."

"You'd want to teach?" Hermione asked curiously.

Buffy shrugged in her usual non-committal way.  "I dunno.  I've never really thought too much about it honestly.  I guess whatever happens, happens.  And maybe everyone in the wizarding world will get off their '_his daughter_' kick, and just see me as me.  Buffy Summers, instead of Elizabeth Riddle.  What do you think you'll end up doing?"

"Not teaching, I can assure you of that," Hermione replied.

Buffy looked at her curiously.

"Why not?  I mean, you're way smart.  You could teach if you wanted to," Buffy said.

Hermione sighed.  She had given the profession of teaching some serious thought over the years, but after trying to tutor both Harry and Ron over the years, she had learnt that she lacked something important.

"I don't have the patience," Hermione admitted.  "It would annoy me too much to have people not trying their absolute hardest."

Buffy laughed a little.  Now that Hermione had explained it, she could understand why Hermione was reluctant about teaching.

"I'm just glad that we met last year and not about three years ago.  You probably would have hated me and my lack of work ethic," Buffy said.

"I can't imagine you not being studious," Hermione said, trying to conjure up the image of Buffy being a slacker.  

Ever since Buffy and Hermione had met, the muggle-born witch had always been impressed by Buffy's thirst for knowledge.  Just the fact that Buffy had been able to catch up on four years worth of learning in a little over a month had been astounding.

"That's just cos all this magic stuff is pretty damn interesting," Buffy explained.  "You should have seen me back in California.  I was the official slacker of Sunnydale High."

"Well, you can't be horrendously stupid or anything," Hermione said.  "You managed to beat me in two exams last term, and…"

"And you used to be the smartest cookie in the barrel, I know," Buffy replied with a grin.  

Hermione chuckled and they slowed their pace down to a slower jog, making their way back up the slight incline returning to the castle.  

"Do you think we could convince Ron and Harry to come on runs with us when they come back?" Hermione asked with a smile.  The thought of her boyfriend slick with sweat was something that she would definitely love to see.

Buffy returned the grin, thinking of Harry having similarly sweaty problems.

"We'll ask them," Buffy said.  "Maybe we can convince them to run shirtless."

Hermione went even more red than she was.  Her already red-face that was flushed from the run went even brighter.  Buffy couldn't help but laugh at the innocently shocked look on her face.

"Don't tell me that you're still shocked by something like that."

Hermione just shrugged.  "We haven't really gone very far," she admitted.  "The farthest we've got has been kissing."

"Yeah, same with me and Harry," Buffy said, a note of disappointment tinging her voice.  "Have you and Ron discussed it or anything?"

"No!" Hermione exclaimed.  "You don't…we can't…I couldn't just ask him something like that."

"Why not?" Buffy asked curiously.

They stopped just outside the entrance to the Great Hall, stretching out their muscles in order to cool down properly.  Buffy pulled her wand out one of the many pockets in her cargo pants and conjured up two towels for herself and Hermione.  

"Well…have you and Harry spoken about it?" Hermione asked curiously.

"Yup," Buffy replied.

Hermione's eyes nearly bugged out.  

"You have?" she exclaimed.  "What did you guys talk about?  I mean, are you going to…well, you know."

Buffy grinned.  "Hermione, if you're old enough to be thinking about it, you're old enough to say it."

Hermione rolled her eyes.  She was fairly certain that her best friend loved to torment her through eternal embarrassment.

"Have you and Harry…made love?" she asked, whispering the final two words so quietly that Buffy had to strain to hear them.

"Not yet," Buffy replied.  "But we've talked about it.  And trust me, you and Ron probably should at least talk about it as well.  Otherwise it'll end up coming between you.  The proverbial elephant in the room.  Or castle, I suppose."

"But…how do you know if you're…y'know.  Ready?" Hermione asked shyly.

Buffy smiled and considered her response carefully.

"Believe me, you'll know when your ready.  Just make sure you're doing it for the right reasons.  Do it because you both need it to happen, not because you feel pressured into it," Buffy advised.

"Ron would never-"

"I know," Buffy jumped in.  "I didn't mean to imply otherwise, but…if you love him, you'll know when it's right." 

Hermione nodded and considered Buffy's words carefully.  

"I just don't know that I'm ready," she admitted.

"There's nothing wrong with that 'Mione," Buffy assured her.  "You and Ron are only sixteen, so it's not that unusual for you to not be ready.  Some people are ready at fifteen, others aren't ready until they're I their twenties."

Hermione smiled somewhat thankfully.

"Feel free to tell me to keep my nose out of your business, but…are you and Harry…well…ready?" she asked as they towelled themselves dry from the cooled down sweat on their bodies.  They entered the Entrance Hall and made their way up to their dorm room.

"I think we are," Buffy admitted.  "We've both had to grow up a lot faster than either of us would have liked so we both feel a lot older than sixteen, or seventeen in my case, and…we love each other.  Our only problem is finding somewhere private within Hogwarts.  But…we'll work something out I guess."

They entered their dorm room and Buffy flopped gracefully down onto her bed and kicked her shoes off her feet.

"Tonight's the last night that we'll have this room all to ourselves," Buffy commented.

"I know," Hermione replied.  "I'm torn between wanting to see everyone else and wanting to keep the room just ourselves.  Lavender and all her dirty socks are just annoying."

Buffy grinned and sat up on the bed, running a hand through her hair.  

"Well, just do what I do," Buffy advised.  "Whenever Lav leaves her socks lying around, either make them invisible or shrink them."

Hermione laughed loudly and couldn't help but grin at her friend.

"I knew I liked you for a reason."

----

Feedback=good.  ;)


	10. The Sorting

CHAPTER TEN: THE SORTING

"Have I mentioned how much I really _hate_ this uniform," Buffy complained as she donned the skirt, blouse and tie.

Hermione, Ginny, Lavender and Parvati all gave her the same look that screamed the word 'duh'.  

Buffy just sighed and finished tying the half-hearted knot in her tie.  It hung slightly lose, and Hermione just tsked softly.  Buffy rolled her eyes.  Hermione would never give up in her quest to get Buffy to wear the uniform correctly.

"You're going to be late if you don't hurry up," Parvati said as she and Lavender made their way to the door.

Buffy struggled with her shoelaces, used to just slipping on her joggers as she'd done everyday for the last few weeks.  

"I'll see you guys at the feast," Ginny said, still her ever enthusiastic self.

Hermione laughed as the younger girl ran from the room.

"I can definitely understand why Ginny reminded you so much of Willow," Hermione commented.

Buffy grinned and jumped to her feet, finally finished with her dressing routine.  She straightened her cloak and nodded towards the door.

"Ready?"

"Uh, Buffy, I was waiting for _you_, remember?"

------------------------

Buffy and Hermione entered the Great Hall, grinning form ear to ear.  The sounds of several hundred students filled their ears, and they knew that being at Hogwarts when it was close to empty hadn't been anywhere near as good as it was when the students where there as well.

They made their way down to their seats at the Gryffindor table, waving to anyone who greeted them.  Buffy caught sight of Tara, seated at the Hufflepuff table, and waved enthusiastically.  The still terminally shy girl waved back with less gusto, but still with genuine affection.

Buffy scanned the table, looking for the familiar black haired and redheaded boys.  Her eyes narrowed.

"Can you see either of them?" Hermione asked.

Buffy shook her head.  She grinned and waved at Dean, Seamus and Neville who were already seated.  

"Hey Shae, where's Harry?" Buffy called out over the noise of the Great Hall.

Seamus shrugged his shoulders.  "Haven't seen him since we got off the train."

Buffy and Hermione exchanged glances.  Not even ten minutes into the new term of Hogwarts, and it looked as though Harry and Ron had already found some sort of mischief.

Buffy suddenly felt a hand touch her shoulder, and she spun around to look at whoever had surprised her.  Her eyes widened and a grin split on her face.

"Drake!"

Draco Malfoy, the calm, cool and collected 'Prince of Slytherin' was suddenly engulfed in a bone-crushing hug by his cousin.  He smiled and returned the hug, lifting Buffy off her feet and brushing a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"I take it you're glad to see me Summers," Draco said, with his trademark smirk on his handsome features.

"Way to understate," she replied with a grin.  "Gods I've missed you."

"Missed you too," he replied.  

He looked at Hermione who stood just behind Buffy and nodded his greeting to her.

"Granger," he said.

"Malfoy," she replied.  "Good summer?"

"Best ever," he replied honestly.

Buffy looked at him curiously and saw the sincere note in his eyes.

"You really enjoyed it?" she asked.

He nodded.  "I never realised how much I hated summers until I finally got out of my father's house."

Buffy nodded in understanding.  The conversations they'd had in the first month of summer had indicated that Draco's summer vacations had never been anything thrilling.  And being the reluctant child of a Death-Eater would have been even worse.  

"How's Sara?" Buffy asked.

Even though she and Sara had been sending owls to each other over the two months that Buffy had spent at Hogwarts, she still missed her real mother greatly.  The letters were a great way for them to learn about each other, and Buffy had learnt a great deal about her mother's life at Hogwarts before Buffy had been born.

"She's good.  She misses you like crazy," Draco replied.

"I miss her too," Buffy replied.

Draco glanced quickly at the Slytherin table, and Buffy followed his gaze.  She noticed that most of the Slytherin students immediately turned away from watching the two blonde teenagers.  Buffy scowled in their direction.

"What're _their_ problems?" Buffy asked.

"I would guess that their summers were not quite so good as mine," he replied.  "Some of their parents were sent to Azkaban.  Not all of them would be happy about it."

Buffy felt herself going faint.  She'd never thought about that.  She'd known that Draco's father had been sent to the wizarding prison, but she'd never really given too much thought to all of the other students whose parents were Death-Eaters.

"Buffy?" Draco asked, touching her elbow to ensure she didn't fall over when she began swaying dangerously.

Buffy shook herself out of her thoughts and gave Draco a half-hearted smile.  "I'm fine.  I guess I never really thought about what would happen to all the other Death-Eaters," she explained.

"They deserved it," Draco said darkly.

Buffy couldn't exactly argue with that logic. The Death Eaters had deserved to be imprisoned for attempting to have another reign of terror.  It wasn't as though it was Buffy's fault that they'd chosen to do so.    

Draco saw the doubt in Buffy's eyes, and stepped forward to hug her once more.  A deep voice coming from behind them broke them apart.

"Take your slimy Slytherin paws _off_ my girlfriend."

Buffy grinned widely and practically threw herself at Harry.  Even though it had only been three weeks since she'd last seen him, she had missed him terribly.  She'd missed him even more, considering she hadn't been able to get one particular conversation out of her head.

Buffy and Harry kissed with passion, ignoring all the other students in the Great Hall.  The Gryffindor couple had been very private the previous year, and most of the students had never really seen the duo interact with each other so intimately.  Laughter, applause and much cat-calling broke out, but both Buffy and Harry were too focussed on each other to even notice.

"I missed you," Buffy said quietly.

Harry smiled softly and placed a soft nipping kiss on her nose.  "Missed you more."

She grinned and hugged him tightly.  A loud and pointed coughing began behind them.  They broke away from each other reluctantly.

"Malfoy," Harry said coldly.

"Potter," Draco replied.

Buffy rolled her eyes.  "You guys are terrible."

Both boys turned and looked at her with something that resembled puppy-eyes.  She just grinned and shook her head in disbelief.

"I better get to my own table," Draco said regretfully.  "I'll catch up with you later Buffy."

Buffy nodded and grinned at him.  "See ya Drake."

She watched him for a moment before turning her attention back to Harry.

"Where were you?" she asked curiously.  "How come you were so late coming in?"

Harry smiled mischievously.  He reached into his robes and pulled out two small silver balls the size of marbles.  Buffy touched them tentatively.

"What are these?" she asked curiously.

He winked at her and turned towards the Slytherin table.  He located Crabbe and Goyle and quickly threw both balls in quick succession at the two boys.  The twin silver balls hit the wall behind Crabbe and Goyle, and two sudden black clouds hovered above the thick Slytherin boys, rain pouring on both of them, saturating them completely.

Laughter rang out at every table, including the Slytherins.  Draco looked towards Harry and Buffy, unable to contain the laughter that bubbled up inside him.  

Buffy looked at Harry incredulously.

"Where did you get them?" she asked.

"Weasley's Wizards Wheezes," he explained with a grin.  "As their main benefactor, the twins like giving me free samples."

As quickly as the clouds had appeared, they disappeared instantaneously.  The only thing to show that they'd once been there was the two drenched boys who were looking around the hall indignantly.  Their gaze lit on Buffy and Harry, and they scowled angrily.

"Remind me to never mess with you," Buffy said.

Harry just smiled and kissed her softly.  "I was kind of hoping that you _would_ mess with me love," he whispered.

Buffy grinned and felt herself go red.  This year was definitely going to be interesting.

------------------------

With everyone seated, and the Sorting Ceremony complete, the seven grades of Hogwarts dug into the Feast provided for them.  People were exchanging anecdotes about their summers, and commenting on the new First Year students.  

Other conversations about the teaching staff were breaking out as well.  This would be the first year where they'd had a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher stay for more than one year.  The students were somewhat amazed that Giles had managed to keep the cursed position.  The other comments about the teaching staff was the missing Flying Lessons Professor, Madam Hooch.  Buffy and Hermione had noticed that the flying instructor had been missing for most of the holidays, but they hadn't given it too much thought.

The other hot topic on the Gryffindor table was about the much coveted Quidditch positions that had just opened up.  With five open spots, speculation was running wild.  Ron and Harry were trying to tactfully rebuff anyone who tried bribing their way into Harry's good graces.

"C'mon mate," Seamus said around a mouthful of pumpkin pie.  "What are friends for?"

Harry just shook his head.  "You're welcome to try out for it, but…I'm not giving anyone guarantees until I've seen you in the air."

Buffy couldn't help but giggle at the completely upset look on Seamus' face.

"What are you laughing at Summers?" Seamus asked, indignantly.  

"You!"

Seamus rolled his eyes and glared at her.  "Well, will _you_ be trying out?" he demanded.

"Of course.  And if I don't get on the team, I'll know it's cos I sucked.  And if I do get on, it won't _just_ be cos I'm sleeping with the captain," she said.

Harry went bright red, and most of the Gryffindor table choked on their food.  

"I'm kidding," Buffy said, laughing and shaking her head.  

Most everyone breathed sighs of relief.  Harry on the other hand, just poked Buffy in the ribs, making her squirm.

"You'll pay for that Summers."

She grinned at him and kissed his cheek.  "Counting on it."

-----

Ooo double update.  Aren't you just lucky bunnies.  Actually it's just cos I realised how slow this thing seems to be going.  Oh well.  It gets better, honest!  

SNEAK PREVIEW:

Oliver Wood returns to Hogwarts and sparks fly between the former Quidditch captain and the new Quidditch Captain's girlfriend.

*grins*  Toodles. 


	11. The Common Room

CHAPTER ELEVEN: THE COMMON ROOM

Harry, Buffy, Ron and Hermione sat in 'their' corner of the Gryffindor Common Room, the girls seated with their backs to the boys chests, as the boys leaned against the wall.  They were watching as a fifth-year prefect explained about the Common Room to the new First Year students.

"Were we ever that little?" Ron asked.

Harry grinned.  "I don't think you were _ever_ that little mate," Harry replied, remembering the tall and lanky eleven-year-old Ron Weasley that had towered over most of the second years as well as the first years.

Hermione chuckled a little and leant her head back on Ron's shoulder.  Ron, taking the hint, nuzzled his nose into Hermione's neck, content in having his girlfriend back in his arms.

Buffy half turned in Harry's arms so that she was in a better position to kiss her boyfriend.  Harry was only too happy to oblige.

"Can't you take this anywhere else?" the fifth-year prefect, Kieran Hooper complained.

Buffy and Harry, Ron and Hermione looked up at the prefect and saw that the first-years were all pointing and giggling.  Suddenly, the laughing stopped, and the four Sixth Year students could hear murmurs of "Potter" "Summers" and "You-Know-Who's daughter" coming from the First Years.

Buffy rolled her eyes and refrained from glaring at them.  Scaring the First Years probably wasn't the best way to endear herself to them.  Harry pushed Buffy a little, helping her to her feet as Ron did the same for Hermione.  With a final look in the now incredibly frightened First Years direction, the foursome moved towards the dorms, deciding to invade the boys room rather than the girls, seeing as Lavender, Ginny and Parvati were likely to want to socialise in their own room.  The boys would most likely stay in the Great hall for longer, leaving the foursome to their privacy.

"You'd think they'd be a little less obvious about it," Harry complained.  "I don't know about you Buffy, but I'm damn sick of everyone looking at us and wondering why we're together."

Ron and Hermione shifted uneasily, well aware of Harry's volatile temper.  As much as he seemed to be the calm and collected boy that most everyone else knew him as, his temper was something that they didn't like to mess with.

"Well, most Hogwarts students aren't really known for their subtlety," Buffy said.  "And it doesn't matter what everyone thinks of us.  I'm not asking anyone else to understand us."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his permanently messy hair.  He sat himself on his bed and pulled Buffy to stand between his legs, looking up at her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered quietly.  "I'm being a prat, I know, but…I'm so sick of people wondering why we're together.  I just hate defending our relationship to other people."

Buffy smiled softly and bent down to kiss him.  "Like I said, it doesn't matter what anyone else thinks.  As long as we're okay with it, and as long as our real friends understand, what does it matter?"

Hermione and Ron sat on Ron's bed, Hermione kicking off her shoes and sitting cross-legged, facing Harry and Buffy.  Buffy followed Hermione's example, throwing her own shoes off, but choosing to lie stomach down on Harry's bed.  Harry sat beside her, gently trailing his fingers down Buffy's back, making her shiver delicately every few seconds.  Every time her body gave an involuntary shudder, Harry grinned widely.

"Maybe you should just glare at everyone who thinks you're bonkers," Ron suggested.  "That'd shut 'em right up."

Buffy snorted with laughter and Harry just smirked.  Hermione rolled her eyes.

"That'd be just brilliant Ron.  And then everyone would send letters to the Minister of Magic who'd try to get Buffy expelled," Hermione said with exasperation.

"I don't think Fudge needs to much more of an excuse to get me expelled," Buffy said with contempt.  She had hated Cornelius Fudge ever since she had met the man.  "But…if I'm expelled, I'll at least be consistent.  Getting kicked out of schools seems to be my specialty."

"Dumbledore would never expel you though," Ron said confidently.  "I think you and Harry could just about get away with murder."

"Don't you just love being the favourite?" Buffy asked with a grin.

Harry couldn't help but smile.  He had to admit that it was nice to be favoured, especially considering how badly he'd been starved for affection when he'd been living with the Dursley's.  

"Well, my suggestion is the age-old advice.  If we ignore them, maybe they'll go away," Buffy said.

Ron shook his head, a cheeky grin on his face.  

"I tried that with Percy for years.  Hasn't worked yet."

And for the rest of the evening the room was filled with laughter.

------------------------

Buffy lounged in one of the large chairs in the Gryffindor Common Room, having woken up a lot earlier due to the sudden influx of noise.  Hermione had managed to sleep through the extra sounds of snoring, but Buffy found herself unable to sleep.  She had dressed for classes, grabbed her books, quills and parchment and had settled herself in front of the fire in the Common Room, reading through one of her many texts.

A small, quiet, frightened 'eep' from the stairs, alerted Buffy to her visitor.

She looked up at the young First Year boy and offered a half-smile.

"Morning," she greeted friendlily.

He looked at her with wide eyes, and Buffy could tell by his body language that he was tempted to run back up the stairs to avoid her.

He edged forward, keeping his eyes on Buffy, who had resumed reading her textbook, but was still looking at him out of the corner of her eye, without being noticeable.

The boy sat down as close as he could to the portrait hole.  He fidgeted nervously, annoying Buffy to no end.  She looked up at him and he looked away, embarrassed at being caught staring at her.

"You really don't have to be afraid of me," she told him quietly.

He swallowed hard.  "But…but you're…"

"Voldemort's daughter?" she finished for him.

The boy winced at the name and nodded his head frantically.

"You were in all the papers," he said, his accent clearly Irish, rather than the British that so many Hogwarts students had.

Buffy nodded.  She'd seen most of the Daily Prophet articles concerning herself and her relation to Voldemort.  She was just glad that the articles were getting fewer and further between.

"That wouldn't surprise me," she replied quietly.

"So…are you?" he asked.

"Yup," she replied.  "Elizabeth Riddle.  But I prefer Buffy Summers."

He whispered her preferred name quietly as though testing it out.  

"You're…you're American," he commented.

She nodded.  "Born and bred.  I was raised muggle," she explained.

His eyes lit up.  "Really?  My new friend was raised muggle.  He's really funny.  Every time any of the portraits move or speak he jumps."

She grinned at him, thankful that the boy seemed slightly more at ease.

"I was like that," she confided.  "Last year.  I'd never been to a wizarding school before.  I didn't even know that the wizarding world existed until then.  Everything at Hogwarts was really weird."

The boy cocked his head to the side and studied her thoughtfully.  He suddenly stood up and moved to stand in front of her, his hand outstretched in a gesture of friendship.  She grinned and shook his hand.

"Glenn Wood," he introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you Glenn," she said with a grin.  "Now, how come you're up so early?"

Glenn smiled sheepishly and sank into a seat closer to Buffy.

"My brother's meant to come and get me.  He's going to take me flying, and the morning's the best time to do it," Glenn explained.

"Who's your brother?" Buffy asked curiously.

"Oliver Wood.  He's the new flying instructor," Glenn replied.  "Madam Hooch was offered a position as an umpire for the next Quidditch World Cup for next summer, so Oliver's taking over until Madam Hooch is done going through the extra training stuff."

Buffy was about to make a comment about having noticed Madam Hooch's absence, but the portrait hole swung open, and an extremely attractive young man of about twenty entered, ducking his head so as not to bang it non the opening.

Oliver's eyes lit on Buffy and he smiled shyly at her.  "Hullo," he greeted.

"Hey," she replied.  "You'd be Oliver, I take it.  Or am I meant to be calling you Professor Wood?"

Oliver grinned and shook his head.  "Just Oliver," he replied as he took a seat next to Glenn.  He looked to his brother who was looking between the two of them, his nose wrinkled slightly.  "Morning Dodge."

"Morning," Glenn replied.

Buffy just looked between the two boys curiously. "Dodge?  You told me your name was Glenn."

"Dodge is a nickname," Glenn explained.  "Oliver's been teaching me to play Quidditch, but…when I was little I kept dodging the ball instead of catching it."

Buffy giggled a little and Oliver smiled.

"I didn't catch your name," Oliver said, offering her his hand to shake.

"Oh, sorry.  Buffy Summers," she replied.  

Oliver's eyes widened, and he looked to Glenn with a startled expression.  Glenn just shook his head.

"She's really nice," Glenn said.

Buffy just grinned.  "Thanks."  She looked up at Oliver and held her hands up in a sign of mock-surrender.  "I'm completely non-evil.  I swear it."

Oliver regarded her with his head cocked to the side, as Glenn had done only moments ago.  He finally nodded decisively, choosing to trust the young woman in front of him.

"So, are you trying out for the Quidditch team?" he asked curiously.

"Hell yes," Buffy replied enthusiastically.  "Harry taught me to fly during the holidays, and…well, I didn't exactly suck at it, so I'll definitely be trying out."

"Harry?" Oliver repeated, his face falling a little.  "As in Potter?"

Buffy nodded.  She noticed the sudden drop in Oliver's handsome features and wondered why it had affected her so badly.

"Yup.  We've been dating for, what…just over eight months now," Buffy explained.

Oliver sighed and stood up.  He was a little disconcerted by the fact that he was so disappointed with the news that Buffy was dating someone.  He shouldn't even have been thinking about any of the students that way, considering he was meant to be a teacher.  He ran a hand through his short hair, messing it up a little and making it stand on end.  He really was incredibly attractive.

"We should get going if we want to get any flying done before breakfast," Oliver announced, looking at his younger brother.  He looked back at Buffy.  "I'll uh…see you around school then."

Buffy just smiled at him.  "I guess so.  It was good meeting you both."

Glenn rolled his eyes and walked out the portrait hole.  Oliver cast one final look in Buffy's direction before following after his younger brother.  

Buffy couldn't help but quickly give Oliver's retreating form one final glance.  As she turned her attention back to her book, she couldn't help but smile.  Immediately she chastised herself for even thinking any wrong thoughts about Oliver.  All she knew was that the year had just become far more interesting.

----

Uh oh…

Mega thanks for feedback!

SNEAK PREVIEW (familiar sneak preview…)

_Dumbledore gave her a wry smile and inclined his head.  "Consider it from this angle, that power was never really yours to begin with.  It is something that you were given in order to aid you in learning the difference between good and evil.  And now that you have firmly established what those differences are, returning the power that you were given should not be a problem."_

Toodles.


	12. The Meeting

CHAPTER TWELVE: THE MEETING

As first days went, it was shaping up to be incredibly horrible.  Snape had attempted to deduct the Gryffindor's house points until they were in the minus figures, he'd already given Dean Thomas a detention for an incorrectly brewed potion, and the amount of homework set by all of the teacher's had been far too much for a first day.

By the final period of the day, the exhausted Sixth Year students slunk out of the DADA classroom, just grateful that Giles hadn't been horribly harsh in the homework assignments.  Buffy hung back, wanting to ask Giles why he'd been so distracted during the lesson.  Harry, Ron and Hermione had offered to wait for her, but Buffy had told them that she would meet up with them later at dinner.

"Giles?" Buffy asked quietly as her mentor and father figure slammed one of his textbooks loudly onto his desk.  "Are you okay?"

Giles looked up, not having noticed that Buffy had lingered.

"Oh…Buffy.  Uh…yes, yes.  I'm fine," he replied.

Buffy just looked at him with one eyebrow raised.  "And you know I don't believe that," she replied.  She laid a gentle hand on his arm.  "What's wrong?"

Giles sighed and sat heavily in his seat.  He removed his glasses and ran a hand over his face.  Buffy, who had mastered reading Giles' facial expressions over the last three years was now especially worried.

"Giles?  What's going on?" she asked again.

"Cornelius Fudge is here," he replied.  "He wishes to have a meeting with you after dinner."

"Alright…Fudge isn't my favourite man in the world, but…why is that so terrible?" she asked, a feeling of dread creeping up into her stomach.

"I just have a bad feeling about this, is all," Giles explained.

Buffy sighed and swallowed hard.  It wouldn't do her any good to sit around wondering what Fudge had in store for her this time.  Her dislike for the Minister of Magic had compounded last year, not just because the man clearly despised her, but also because it was Fudge's fault that her heritage had been revealed to the entire Hogwarts population.  

"Well…it can't be much worse than what happened last year," Buffy said confidently.  "Whatever it is…I'll deal."

Giles could only give her a weak smile as he stood up and walked his charge to the Great Hall.

------------------------

Buffy knew from the moment that she walked into Dumbledore's office for what seemed liked the millionth time that the meeting between herself and Fudge was not going to go well.  She took a seat across from the Headmaster, Giles standing behind her in a show of support.

"So…what's going on?" Buffy asked curiously, addressing Dumbledore rather than the Minister of Magic who sat in the seat beside her.

Unfortunately, it was Fudge who replied.

"There have been many…meetings, between myself and the other governors," Fudge began.  "There have been a numerous amount of complaints about…well, about-"

"Me," Buffy finished for him, glaring at him contemptuously.  

Fudge just nodded and kept his eyes averted from Buffy's gaze.

"After much talk, it was decided, and agreed upon-"

"By barely even _half_ of the Ministry," Dumbledore added angrily.

Buffy felt her nervousness increase.  If Dumbledore was angry, then it could only mean trouble.  She hated seeing the Headmaster angry, upset or frightened.  It tended to make Buffy worry even more than she usually did.

Fudge just cleared his throat, trying to ignore Dumbledore's outburst.

"That you possess entirely too much power," Fudge continued.

Buffy just stared at the man blankly.  Whatever she'd been expecting, it definitely hadn't been that.

"Ooookay," she said slowly, not really comprehending what was being said.  "And you want me to do _what_ about it?"

Fudge couldn't quite bring himself to reply.  He knew that the answer would anger the young woman in front of him, and after hearing testimonies of the power that she possessed, he knew that this was not someone that he wanted to be angered.

Giles scoffed as he realised exactly what Fudge was trying to say.

"They wish to take away your slaying abilities," he said.  He glared at Fudge.  "Don't they?"

Fudge just nodded.  He'd been the recipient of Giles' patented Ripper-glare many times before, but none of those times had it seemed so ferocious.

There was a sudden silence in the room as Buffy digested what Fudge had just suggested.  She turned in her chair and looked up at Giles.  When she saw his angered expression she was just grateful that the hatred she saw in his eyes wasn't being directed at her.

She turned back to the Minister of Magic who was trying his best to appear calm and confident.

"Why?" Buffy asked.

"Surely you must understand our position," Fudge said.  "Ever since your identity was revealed, we've had numerous owls regarding people's safety."

Buffy looked at him with barely disguised disgust.

"So, basically what it comes down to is that you don't trust me," Buffy said.

Fudge swallowed hard.  He'd been given no real reason to trust the girl in front of him.  Dumbledore sighed and looked to the student who was most frequently in his office.

"I believe what the Minister is trying to say is that power frightens people," Dumbledore explained.  "When you were untrained in your magic, you were still powerful, but now that you have both your slaying abilities and your magical abilities, your power is even greater.  It is understandable that people would be worried that that power could be used for nefarious purposes."

Buffy sighed and considered Dumbledore's words carefully.  

"Weren't you the one who told me that I needed to stay in situations where people were uncomfortable with who and what I was so that I could get people to trust me?" Buffy asked, remembering his words from the previous month.

Dumbledore gave her a wry smile and inclined his head.  "Indeed I did Miss Summers.  But…consider it from this angle, that power was never really yours to begin with.  It is something that you were given in order to aid you in learning the difference between good and evil.  And now that you have firmly established what those differences are, returning the power that you were given should not be a problem."

Buffy hadn't really thought about it from that angle.  Even though she'd been told all throughout the previous year that she wasn't really a Slayer, she still had the strength, healing abilities, speed and extra senses that came with the Slayer package.  Now that those extra abilities were being threatened, she felt an odd sense of panic.

She'd been strong and fast for over three years now, and to suddenly find herself about to lose what she'd grown used to was a frightening concept.

As always, she looked to Giles.  He didn't look particularly happy about it, but she could read the understanding in his eyes at the Headmaster's words.  She sighed and wondered what differences would occur when the spell was reversed.

"Giles?" she questioned.

Giles moved to kneel in front of her, taking her hands within his larger ones.

"Buffy…you know that I trust you unconditionally.  But if agreeing to the removal of the spell will enable people to trust you, then I don't believe you should fight this," he advised her.

She sighed heavily and considered all of her options.  She knew that one way or another the spell would take place.  Having her powers stripped voluntarily would look far better than if they had to be taken by force.

"Alright.  I'll agree to it," she finally said.

Fudge sighed with relief and stood up, reaching for his wand.

"But," Buffy said suddenly, her voice raised, a note of authority within it.  "I want Giles to do it."

Giles' eyes widened in panic.  He withdrew his hands from Buffy's and looked at her curiously.  

"Me?  Why me?"

"Because I trust you Giles," she replied as though the answer was only too obvious.  "I don't want him pointing his wand at me and doing some funky mojo.  Who knows what other spells he's likely to do if he's given half the chance."

Fudge looked vaguely insulted by Buffy's words.  He wisely decided to stay silent however, knowing that a single wrong word would only cause Buffy to change her mind about the spell.

Giles quickly weighed the options.  Buffy did make a good point.  Now that it had been mentioned, he wasn't entirely certain that he would want anyone pointing a wand at his 'daughter' and taking away part of her power.

Giles looked to the Minister of Magic.  "Will you agree to letting me perform the spell?" Giles asked.

Fudge nodded without hesitation.  He handed Giles a slip of parchment with an incantation written on it.  Giles read over it and committed it to memory.  With shaking hands he removed his wand, trying to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to do.

Buffy closed her eyes as Giles brought his wand to rest, pointing directly at Buffy's heart.  With a few carefully phrased words in Latin, Buffy's entire world exploded in pain.

------------------------

Madam Pomfrey had been fairly certain that her services wouldn't be required on the first day back of term.  Unfortunately for her, she was dead wrong.  A cry of her name tore her away from her book, and she looked up, startled to see Professor Giles running into the infirmary with a familiar small, blonde figure in his arms.

Pomfrey's eyes widened and she was on her feet in an instant, gathering potions and ingredients in order to help out the familiar looking blonde girl.  The one and only time that Poppy Pomfrey had treated the American girl had been after Buffy had been hit with the Killing Curse at the end of the previous school year.

"What happened?" Pomfrey demanded, looking between an absolute frantic Giles, and an equally worried Dumbledore.  Cornelius Fudge stood behind them, his face blank, though anyone who looked at him could tell he was worried.  Although, anyone who knew him _really_ well could tell that he was more worried about what Giles or Dumbledore would do to him if Buffy Summers was not alright.

"She had a significant amount of her powers stripped," Giles explained succinctly.  "She passed out after screaming bloody murder."

Pomfrey paled under Giles' description.  She could hear the fear in his voice, tinged with a fair amount of anger.  Pomfrey quickly checked on the pale girl, ensuring that she was indeed alive.  

"She seems to be alright," Pomfrey said quietly.  "Just unconscious.  Undoubtedly she'll hurt like hell in the morning."

Giles scowled angrily and plopped down into the seat beside Buffy's bed.  It was fairly obvious from his entire posture that he was not about to move from his spot unless an apocalypse came.  Even then it would have been doubtful.

Dumbledore turned cold eyes towards Fudge.  "I believe we're done here," the headmaster said coolly.

Fudge nodded and left without another word.  He wasn't about to stay for the aftermath of the spell that had been performed.  He was suddenly very grateful that he hadn't been the one to perform it.

Dumbledore watched him leave, tail between his legs.  He turned to Giles and laid a fatherly hand on the DADA Professors shoulder.  

"Try to get some sleep," Dumbledore advised.  "I'll find someone to take over your classes for tomorrow.  You'll probably wish to stay with her, help her to adjust."

Giles just nodded absently, barely hearing anything beyond 'stay with her'.  He took a hold of his daughter's hand and continued watching her well into the night.

-----

Many thanks for all your reviews!  Always wonderful to hear back from you guys!  

Toodles.


	13. The Blame

CHAPTER THIRTEEN: THE BLAME

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco raced towards the infirmary at full speed.  When Professor Dumbledore had informed them of Buffy's whereabouts, none of them had even bothered finishing breakfast.  Instead, the Gryffindor Trio had exchanged a glance for a split second before simultaneously standing up and racing from the Great Hall.  Draco's reaction had been similar, except he'd actually spit out his mouthful of toast as he'd risen.

Giles was awoken by the sound of loud clambering feet running towards Buffy's bed.  He looked up to see the four worried faces of Buffy's best friends.

"Is she alright?" Harry asked, desperate to know what had happened.

"She should be fine," Giles replied quietly.

"Should be?" Draco repeated angrily.  He'd only been this worried once before in his life, and it had been in almost exactly the same situation.  Things were never good when his cousin was laid up in the infirmary.

"She has yet to wake up," Giles clarified.

The group fell silent and stared at Buffy's sleeping figure.  There were dark circles under her eyes, and she looked entirely unrested, even though she had slept for the last fifteen hours straight.

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

Giles sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  He couldn't believe how badly the spell had gone.  Whatever he'd been expecting, it hadn't been to have to watch Buffy begin screaming, start convulsing, and eventually pass out from the pain involved in the spell.

"The Ministry decided that Buffy had too much power," Giles explained bitterly, knowing that trying to keep anything from these four teenagers didn't help at all.  They had a knack for discovering things on their own, and Buffy was likely to tell them what had happened in any case.

"Too much power?" Harry repeated.  "That's not her fault!  And it's not like she could do anything about it."

"Actually, Mr Potter…there was a part of her power that she could give up," Giles corrected the teenager gently.  He knew how deeply Buffy and Harry cared about each other, and seeing Harry's concern and worry now only confirmed it even more.

The group fell silent, trying to work out what Giles was talking about.  Unsurprisingly it was Hermione who worked it out first.

"Her slaying abilities," she said quietly.

Giles nodded in affirmation.

"The Ministry didn't want someone as magically powerful as Buffy having the physical strength as well," Giles explained.

The four teenagers scowled in disgust.  Giles was just glad that he wasn't the only one who thought that the Ministry of Magic was entirely wrong in their judgement about Buffy.

"So…what happened?" Draco asked, his eyes on the still form of his cousin.  "Why's she unconscious?"

Giles closed his eyes in shame.  

"The spell…well…it wasn't entirely painless for her," he admitted.

Hermione felt as though she was about to be sick.  Harry, Ron and Draco didn't look much farther behind.

"I'm gonna kill that git of a Minister," Ron growled angrily.

"Get in line," Draco added.

Giles looked up at the foursome with pain filled eyes.

"It wasn't Fudge that performed the spell," he said quietly.  "I did it."

The four teens fell silent.  They couldn't ever imagine their DADA Professor performing a spell on Buffy that would hurt her.  From what they'd seen of Buffy and Giles the previous year, they knew that the two of them had a special bond that transcended almost anything.  Giles was her guardian, her most trusted confidante, the man that Buffy considered a father.  To hear that Giles was the one who had taken away her slaying abilities came as more than a shock to them.

"Why?" Hermione whispered, tears in her eyes.

Giles gave a snort of sarcastic laughter.  "She wanted it to be someone she trusted."

Harry immediately saw how much Giles was tearing himself up about being the one to perform the spell on Buffy.  He had to take pity on the man for it, when he was fairly certain that Giles would never have voluntarily done anything to hurt Buffy.

"Can you blame her for not wanting it to be Fudge?" Harry asked quietly.  "She trusts you Professor Giles.  And I know that when she wakes up, she'll tell you not to blame yourself for it."

"She'll still be angry," Giles replied.

"She'll be angry at the Ministry, not at you," Draco said forcefully.  "It's that idiot Fudge's fault, not yours."

Giles closed his eyes tiredly and tried to swallow the sick feeling that had risen in his stomach.

"Professor, why don't you let one of us stay with her," Harry said, taking in Giles' apparent exhaustion.  "Malfoy or I can sit with her.  You really look like you need to sleep."

The DADA Professor weighed his options quickly. On the one hand, he desperately wanted to be there when Buffy woke up.  He knew that Buffy hated hospitals, and that she would probably wish to speak to Giles the second she woke up, but he was having troubles staying awake.

He eventually nodded and stood up.  

"You'll be sure to have someone inform me the moment she awakens, won't you?" he asked, looking at the two teenage boys who would undoubtedly protect Buffy with their own lives if it was required of them.

"Of course," Harry replied easily.

With that, Giles left the infirmary, heading directly to his room.  He could only hope that Buffy didn't wake up until Giles had had at least six hours of sleep.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco exchanged glances.  

"We should get to class," Hermione said, looking at Ron.

Ron nodded his agreement, and firmly decided that he didn't want to be in the infirmary when Harry and Draco began their argument about who was going to be the one to sit with the sleeping Buffy.

Hermione and Ron left quickly, leaving the two rivals standing on opposite sides of the bed.

"We uh…we could take it in shifts to sit with her," Harry suggested, trying to be somewhat amicable.  

"Or we could both sit with her the whole time," Draco replied.

Harry and Draco were never going to be the best of friends.  Harry knew that there was no way the two boys would ever just be able to sit down and play chess, or discuss Quidditch as Harry did with Ron.  But ever since Draco's real relationship with Buffy had been revealed, Harry felt far less insecure about how close his girlfriend was to the Slytherin boy.  

That didn't mean, however, that he and Draco could sit together and watch over an unconscious Buffy.  Being left basically alone with Draco was not something that Harry particularly wanted to do.

Harry eventually nodded, knowing that Draco would be about as stubborn as Harry would be, and that neither of them were likely to leave the infirmary.  They both pulled up chairs and sat opposite each other, looking intently at Buffy.

The silence lay thickly between them.  Harry coughed uncomfortably.  

"So…"

Draco looked up and scowled.  "So what?"

Harry paused.  They could either sit in horribly uncomfortable silence, or they could attempt to have a discussion of some sorts.

"How 'bout this weather we've been having?"

------------------------

"You really met Buffy's best friend?" Harry asked curiously.

Draco nodded.  "She's nice.  For a muggle," he qualified.  "But she seemed nice enough.  And Buffy seemed to have really missed her last year, so…if anyone can make Buffy smile like that, they're alright in my books."

Harry still couldn't quite get over the changes that Draco Malfoy had gone through over the years.  He knew that Draco had changed after Lucius Malfoy had been imprisoned in Azkaban, but he'd never taken the time to get to know the other boy.  He'd always seen Draco as an annoying git who always got his own way.

"She's pretty too," Draco added absently.  "Kind of like an older Ginny Weasley."

Harry looked at him in shock.  Draco Malfoy attracted to a muggle girl.  And even more than that…had he just admitted to being attracted to Ginny?  Harry didn't even want to think of that possibility and clung onto the first part of Draco's statement.

"You like her!" Harry exclaimed.

Harry had never seen Draco blush before. It was quite an entertaining sight.

"She's nearly nineteen bloody years old," Draco protested.  "I said she was pretty, not that I wanted to date her."

Harry just chuckled.  He was surprised that the four hours that they'd been sitting there together, they'd been able to hold a fairly civil conversation.  Basically the only thing that they'd disagreed on was Quidditch and which house team was better.  And seeing as Gryffindor currently only had two players, Draco was adamant that Slytherin was the better team.

"I'm sure Buffy could convince Willow that you were a decent enough guy," Harry said.

"Decent?" Draco scoffed.  "I'm as bad as they come."

Harry just rolled his eyes.  Draco sighed, knowing that ever since Buffy had come into his life, he'd basically lost his reputation as the Slytherin bad boy.  

"You really need a girlfriend Malfoy," Harry commented.

"Well, all the good ones are either taken or related to me," Draco replied.

Harry just shook his head, remembering when he'd been jealous of the closeness between Buffy and Draco.  He'd been immensely grateful to find out they were related, otherwise he was fairly certain that Draco could have given him a run for his money.

"Aren't there any _nice_ Slytherin girls?" Harry asked curiously.  He didn't know the Slytherin girls too well, only that most of them were horrible.

"Given a choice between Pansy Parkinson, Millicent Bulstrode, Blaise Zabini, Claire McNair and Keeta Seffer, I'll think I'll stay single thank you," Draco said indignantly.  

"They're not all horrible are they?  Besides, I'm fairly certain that at least one of those five must like you," Harry said.

Draco rolled his eyes.  He knew all too well that even though his reputation had been shattered to smithereens, he was still one of the most sought after students.  Although, considering his main competition in Sixth Year was Crabbe and Goyle, that wasn't too surprising.

"I'm never going to another ball with Parkinson again, even if you paid me to," Draco said empathically.  "Bulstrode's just too unattractive.  McNair and Seffer are dull, and the only one worth half a toss is Zabini.  Unfortunately, she's quite possible the bitchiest girl I've ever met.  Both her parents were caught as Death-Eaters, so now she's the founder of the 'We hate Buffy Summers' club."

"Which means that she doesn't have a chance with you at all," Harry completed.

"Exactly," Draco agreed.  He cast his gaze back down to look at Buffy's still sleeping form.  "You've definitely scored yourself a keeper, Potter.  You're pretty damn lucky."

"Don't I know it." 

-----

Many thanks for your reviews and emails.  Hope you're still enjoying!

Toodles.

K.


	14. The Changes

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE CHANGES

When Giles woke up in the late afternoon, his first order of business was to ensure that Buffy was still safely ensconced in the infirmary.  Knowing his charge incredibly well, he knew that if Buffy had awoken, she probably would have sweet talked her way out of the hospital wing and into her own bed, regardless of how much Poppy Pomfrey protested.

He was therefore quite surprised to enter the infirmary and see that Buffy was still unconscious.  Even more surprising than that was to see Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy sitting on either side of Buffy's bed, talking civilly with each other.

"No change?" Giles asked.

Both Draco and Harry shook their heads sadly.  "She hasn't even stirred in the slightest," Harry said.

Giles frowned and stepped closed to Buffy, pressing a hand against her forehead.  There was no fever.  

"She's been asleep for nearly twenty-one hours," Giles commented softly.  

"You'd think Fudge would have done this during the summer holidays," Draco said, a scowl on his face.  "Why'd he have to wait until school started back again?"

"I suppose he just needed time to convince the rest of the Ministry about the advantages of having the spell done in the first place," Giles replied.

A sudden soft groan sounded from Buffy, and the three visitors immediately moved to get closer to the stirring girl.

"Buffy?" Harry whispered softly, gently squeezing Buffy's hand.

Buffy's eyes fluttered open.  "Ow," she whispered tiredly.

Giles chuckled a little and looked at her intently, trying to read Buffy's expression.  He could tell that she was still tired and drawn-out, but that overall she didn't seem to be having too many side-effects from the spell.

"How do you feel?" Draco asked.

"Remind me never to let anyone do that spell to me again," Buffy whispered, her voice quiet and throaty.  Giles handed her a glass of water, which she gratefully took.  "And I thought the Cruciatus Curse was painful."

Giles winced, and Buffy saw it straight away.  

"It wasn't your fault Giles," she assured him.  "I told you that I wanted you to be the one to do the spell.  Better you than Fudge."

Giles just nodded, not quite convinced.  He looked at Harry and Draco, who were still grinning ear-to-ear, thankful that Buffy seemed to be alright.

"Perhaps you two could give us some time alone," Giles suggested.

Their grins dropped, and they looked like they were about to protest.  With one look at an exhausted Buffy, though, they knew better than to push their luck.  Draco smiled softly at Buffy, bent down and kissed her forehead.

"Get better alright," he whispered.  "I didn't become a softie just to have you up and die on me."

Buffy grinned a little and nodded, that small movement painful for her.  Draco stepped back and Harry came forward.  He brushed a soft kiss on her lips and cupped her cheek with his hand.

"You had me worried Summers," he said quietly.  "I think you're trying to send me to an early grave."

"Sorry Potter," she replied, staring up at him, a smile playing on her face.  "Trouble seems to find me no matter what I do."

He grinned and kissed her cheek.  "I love you."

She smiled and closed her eyes, letting the words wash over her like a healing elixir.  "Love you too."

Draco faked a fit of disgusted coughing.  Harry just rolled his eyes and began walking from the room, Draco following him.  Buffy just smiled at their antics, always thoroughly amused whenever Harry and Draco where in the same room together.

Giles sat down in Harry's now vacant seat and leant forward, staring intently at Buffy.

"How are you?" he asked gently.  "Really?"

Buffy sighed, knowing that Giles wouldn't give up without hearing the truth.  

"Honestly, I'm still in a bit of pain.  I don't think I've ever had a headache this bad before," she admitted.

Giles nodded and reached for some of the potions that Pomfrey had laid out on the bedside table.  He gently eased Buffy into a sitting position and helped her drink the two vials that had been left for her.  Buffy sighed thankfully, the headache dissipating almost immediately.

"Thanks," she whispered.

He smiled softly at her and helped her lay back down.

"Do you feel any different?" he asked.

Buffy nodded, tears stinging in her eyes.  "Yeah.  My vision isn't as good as it was.  My hearing as well.  I can only barely sense you now.  I used to be able to feel you really strongly," she explained.

"No doubt with a bit more practise now that you've lost your slaying abilities, you'll be able to adapt to just having your magic," Giles said comfortingly.

Buffy nodded and brought one hand up in front of her face, studying it intently.  She clenched her hand into a fist and stared at it as though she'd never seen her hand before.

"I feel weak," she admitted.  "I mean, I'm fairly certain I could still do any of the martial arts moves you taught me, but I'd be no where near as strong as I was."

"That's to be expected."

"Hermione's probably going to be able to beat me on our morning runs now," Buffy said with a slight laugh.  

Giles just looked at her, fairly certain that Buffy was about to break down any minute now.  He knew that even though Buffy had protested at first to being the Slayer, she had come to accept it as part of who she was.  He remembered a time when Buffy had told him that as much as she didn't like being the Slayer, she did enjoy the extra perks that came with it.

"It's so weird Giles," Buffy whispered.  "All of last year I _knew_ I wasn't the Slayer, but…"

"But it never really registered with you until you actually lost your powers?" he finished.

Buffy nodded and closed her eyes tiredly.  

"At least you don't have to worry about protecting yourself against Voldemort anymore," Giles said comfortingly.  "And with Harry and Draco around, I doubt anyone will even try to mess with you."

"Not to mention I'm a pretty kick-ass witch," Buffy quipped, a genuine smile coming to her face.

Giles chuckled a little but sobered when the question he'd been asking himself for so long came back to the front of his mind.

"Why did you give in so easily Buffy?" he asked quietly.

Buffy sighed softly and looked at her mentor.  She gave him a sad-smile.

"They'd have done it no matter what.  I'd hoped that if I actually gave in voluntarily, I'd earn some brownie points or something.  And, honestly, I figured that I could just find whatever spell they used on me four years ago and perform it on myself.  But…if it's going to be that painful to get It removed every time, well…I don't know if it would be worth it," she replied honestly.

Giles nodded understandingly.  Buffy sighed again and curled her fingers to make a weak fist.

"My strength…it'll never come back will it?  Not to the extent that it used to be?" she asked.

"No, no where near Slayer strength.  I'd wager that you're still stronger than the average girl, but that would mainly be because of the muscles that you gained through effort, rather than through just the spell," Giles explained.  "I'd imagine that you're healing will never be quite as good either.  Then again…I suppose this spell has never actually been done before, so…perhaps we could be wrong."

Buffy nodded and closed her eyes tiredly.  Giles saw the exhaustion written clearly on her features and stood.  

"I'll leave you to get some rest," he said.

Buffy looked around, finally taking in her surroundings.

"Uh…Giles?  I don't suppose I could just go back to my own room?" she asked, pouting petulantly.  She knew that Giles had always been a sucker whenever she pouted.

Giles removed his glasses and cleaned them with a handkerchief, resolutely not looking at Buffy's bottom lip.  He personally thought that girls or women using pouting as a tool for blackmail should have been illegal.

"I mean, I'm likely to heal faster if I'm somewhere more comfortable, right?" she pleaded.

Giles sighed.  He knew that Buffy wouldn't give up until she got her own way. 

"I'll try and arrange it for you."

She grinned at him and closed her eyes once more, letting pain and exhaustion take over much more, and she fell into the darkness of sleep.

----

;)  Many thanks for your reviews!  

Toodles.


	15. The Challenge

CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE CHALLENGE

Over the next week, Buffy found herself listless, tired and downright sore.  The first morning she'd tried taking a jog with Hermione, she'd had to stop after barely half an hour, not because she was tired, but because the muscles in her legs had been close to giving out on her.  She had trouble staying awake during class, especially in the late afternoon, and Buffy often found herself waking up in the infirmary after passing out.

Her friends, as well as most of the other students, were incredibly worried about this sudden odd behaviour from the blonde girl.  Harry was as supportive as he possibly could be, though once or twice Buffy had snapped at him for being too over-protective.

Giles had insisted that Buffy continue in her training to try and rebuild the musculature that she'd lost after the spell.  It was hard going, but every day Buffy's strength returned.  She was nowhere near as strong as she had been, but she felt as she had before she'd been 'Called'.  

Harry had taken her out flying again, and Buffy had had to learn again how to fly without her fast reflexes or superior strength when throwing Quaffles.  Her reflexes were still sharper than most peoples, (with the possible exception of Harry whenever he caught the Snitch) but Buffy definitely missed having the perks that had always come with Slaying.

"Try-outs are tomorrow morning," Harry reminded her at dinner on Friday night.

She grinned and nodded.  "It's not like I'm gonna forget," she teased him.  "You've only been mentioning it for the last two weeks."

He smiled sheepishly and shrugged.  "I'm just excited.  I've never been Captain before, and…well, I'm a little nervous about it is all."

"You'll be great," she assured him.

"Yeah Harry," Ron agreed enthusiastically.  "You'll be a ripper of a Captain.  You're the best Quidditch player that Hogwarts has seen in years."

Harry blushed slightly and Buffy patted his knee gently.  To divert the conversation away from her now blushing boyfriend, Buffy looked to Hermione.

"Has Ron convinced you to try out yet?" Buffy asked.

"He hasn't stopped begging since term started," Hermione replied, scowling at Ron.  "But I agreed to try out to shut him up."

"That's the spirit!" Buffy said with a grin.  "Me and Harry are gonna go and practice a little tonight if you guys want to join us."

Hermione and Ron exchanged glances, the tips of Ron's ears going red.  Buffy just raised her eyebrows and laughed at Ron and Hermione's embarrassment whenever they wanted some 'alone time'.

"Maybe next time then," Buffy said.

Harry smirked at his best friends and wrapped a casual arm around Buffy's waist.  She sighed and leant into him, resting her head against his shoulder.  

"You ready to get up in the air?" he asked.

------------------------

Harry and Buffy wandered down to the Quidditch Pitch, two brooms in their hands.  Buffy had borrowed Ron's broom, wanting to wait to see if she was accepted onto the Quidditch team before she begged Giles to help her pay for a broom of her own.

When they arrived at the pitch, they could see two people already up in the air, illuminated by the strong floodlight on the pitch that seemed to come from nowhere.  The two fliers stopped in mid-air and descended so that the Gryffindor couple could see who was already on the Pitch.

"Hullo Wood," Harry greeted cheerily.  When he'd seen the old Gryffindor captain back at school instructing Flying Lessons for the First Years, he'd been excited to see his old friend.  "Have you met Buffy?"

Buffy and Oliver smiled at each other.

"We've met," Oliver replied.  "How are you Buffy?"

"Not bad thanks.  Yourself?"

"Good, good," he replied.  "Just teaching Dodge a bit more about Quidditch."

"You're a good flier Glenn," Buffy complimented the younger Gryffindor boy.

Glenn grinned at her happily.  He'd grown to like Buffy over the last two weeks.  Whilst they hadn't spoken since that morning in the Common Room two weeks earlier, whenever they passed each other in the hall, they'd wave or smile.  The younger boy had managed to convince the other First Years that Buffy wasn't the evil girl that the Daily Prophet had tried to make her out to be.

"Thanks Buffy.  Are you trying out for the Quidditch Team?" he asked.

"Yeah," she replied with a grin.  "Whether I get on the team will be a different story, but, I'd like to give it a go."

Oliver looked at the other two speculatively.

"D'you want to play two-on-two?" Oliver asked.  "It'd give you a bit of practice."

Buffy and Harry exchanged glances and shrugged their acceptance.

"Us two against you two?" Harry asked.

Oliver and Glenn looked at each other, sized up their opponents and nodded decisively.  

"Yup," Glenn replied happily.

Buffy just grinned.  "Sounds good."

------------------------

"She shoots…she scores!" Buffy yelled, rasing one arm in triumph before quickly racing to the other side of the goal to catch the falling Quaffle.

Oliver scowled, not happy that he and Glenn were being beaten, 60 to 40.  Buffy threw the Quaffle to Harry, but Glenn was quicker than he looked, and intercepted it quickly.  He flew back to the halfway mark of the Pitch before redirecting his broom and flying towards the goal.

They were only using half the Pitch, but whenever the other team got the Quaffle, they had to retreat to the halfway point before they could aim for any goals.  It basically equated to them using the equivalent of the entire Pitch.

"Go left!" Harry yelled, frantically waving instructions at Buffy as they tried to move in front of Glenn.  Proving that the young Gryffindor had been given the nickname Dodge for a reason, he constantly alluded the two Sixth Years and managed to get the Quaffle into the left goal.

Harry groaned and caught the Quaffle on it's way back out through the hoop.  He sped back to the halfway mark, loop-de-looped around Glenn and threw the Quaffle to Buffy.  Oliver had expected Harry to aim for a goal, and so was no where near the left goal as Buffy threw the Quaffle through the ring.  Unfortunately, she wasn't fast enough to catch it on the way out of the hoop, and Oliver forced his broom into a dive at the same time Buffy did.

Harry and Glenn watched with growing anticipation as their respective Quidditch partners dove for the ball.  The Quaffle hit the ground with a thunk, and both Buffy and Oliver pulled their brooms out of the almost vertical dive.   Unfortunately for Buffy however, she had had very little practice on a broom, and didn't pull up fast enough.  Oliver grabbed onto the back of Buffy's cloak, trying to cushion the fall, but failed to completely keep his hold on her.

Both Oliver and Buffy were thrown from their brooms, landing in a tangle of limbs, cloaks and broomsticks, Oliver sprawled on top of a winded Buffy.

"Are ye alright Buffy?" Oliver asked gently, his heart racing with fear and adrenaline.

She nodded shakily, and Oliver reluctantly moved off her, keeping one of his hands on her arm, almost as though he was ensuring himself that she was truly alive.

She laughed unsteadily and looked at the handsome Flying Instructor.

"I guess I still need a few more lessons at flying before I try something like _that _again," she said.

He grinned at her, thankful that she hadn't injured herself too badly.  He stood and held out his hand to Buffy, gently pulling her up.  Their hands lingered for a moment, the two teens staring into each others eyes.

Harry and Glenn chose that moment to land their broomsticks and race towards Buffy and Oliver.  Harry engulfed Buffy in a tight hug, much to Oliver's disappointment.  Buffy returned it and gave him a slight smile.

"I'm okay," she assured him.  

"Maybe we should pack up for the day," he suggested.

"No!" Buffy cried.  "If I don't get back on the broom now, I'll never get back up in the air."

Harry sighed and internally debated her point.  Unfortunately, his girlfriend was making a fairly valid argument.  He sighed, ran a hand through his messy black hair and walked over to where Ron's broom lay.  He checked it over for damage, and was thankful to see that the crash hadn't done anything too damaging to it.  Ron would have killed them if they'd broken it.

Oliver looked at the Sixth Year couple and sighed dejectedly.

"Me and Dodge had better get back," he said regretfully.  "We'll leave you both to it."

Harry barely registered the Wood brothers leaving the Pitch, but Buffy glanced at Oliver momentarily.  Oliver too cast a glance over his shoulder and caught Buffy's gaze.  She dropped her eyes immediately and focussed back onto Harry.

----

;)  Many thanks for feedbacky stuff!

Toodles.


	16. The Tryouts

CHAPTER SIXTEEN: THE TRY-OUTS

Buffy, Hermione and many others were standing on the Quidditch Pitch, broomsticks in hand as they milled nervously before they were called to try-out for the Gryffindor Team. 

Harry and Ron were decked out in their Quidditch uniforms, trying to judge who the better fliers were.  Harry had a clipboard in one hand as he watched from his viewpoint on his broom, as the people trying out tried to score goals against Ron.  The first order of business was to find three new chasers.  

Ginny Weasley, in the footsteps of all of her older siblings (with the obvious exception of Percy of course) had tried out for a Chaser position, and Buffy was fairly certain that Harry would give the position to the Fifth Year girl.  She was a good flier, obviously having been taught to fly by one of her older brothers.

Due to the fact that they had five positions to fill, Harry had grouped the students into sixes so that they could have a mock game of three chasers against three chasers with Ron acting as Keeper, and again only using half the Pitch.  They would hold try-outs for Beaters after deciding on their new Chasers.

Buffy was grouped with Hermione and Seamus, and the three of them were playing against Dean, Neville and a Seventh Year student Randall Price.  When their group was called to take positions in the air, the six students mounted their brooms and ascended onto the playing field.

"Nervous?" Hermione asked shakily.

"Only in the sense that I think I'm gonna wet my pants.  You?" Buffy replied.

"Ron really wasn't kidding when he told us to go before we came."

Buffy grinned and readjusted the grip on her broomstick.  She'd borrowed Draco's broom for the try-outs after swearing that she wouldn't crash it.  (Her slight accident had gone throughout Hogwarts when Ron had had conniptions when he'd heard about what had happened.)

Harry gave Buffy a reassuring smile, which she returned with a very nervous grin.  Harry, acting as referee, threw the Quaffle into the air, and the moment it began its downward descent, play began.

Surprisingly, it was Neville who caught the ball first.  Unfortunately for him, it was quickly taken from him by Seamus, who raced back to the halfway mark and then threw the Quaffle with precision to Buffy.  She caught it easily, having been taught over the years who to catch a flying projectile.  She hadn't been game enough to try catching a dagger aimed at her head, but she was fairly confident that she could still do it if her life depended on it.

Buffy weaved in and out of Neville, Randall and Dean, only barely managing to miss Dean's outstretched arm.  She brought her broom level to the goal, faked left, confusing Ron completely and scored through the centre hoop.  Ron caught it on the other side of the ring and threw it back into the mass of potential Chasers.

Randall caught it and manoeuvred his way back to the halfway point before passing to Dean.  Dean swerved past Hermione and shot at the left goal, but Ron was faster, catching the Quaffle before Dean could score.  The Keeper threw the Quaffle back to the Chasers.

Play continued for thirty minutes more, Buffy, Seamus and Hermione's team scoring another four goals, whilst Dean, Neville and Randall only scored two.

The four goals were one from Seamus, one from Hermione (though it was questionable considering Ron really wanted his girlfriend on the team) and two from Buffy as well as her one from earlier.  On the other team it had been Randall who had scored both goals.

An hour and two groups later, Harry and Ron were busy conferring with each other over what they had just seen.  They were out of earshot from the competitors, and their faces were giving nothing away.

They finally turned and walked back towards the group who had grown tired of standing, and had sat in the soft grass.  They looked up at the Keeper and Seeker.

"Well, we just want to say thank you all for coming to try outs, and that-"

"Get on with it!" someone rudely interrupted the Captain.

Harry flushed and glared in the direction the comment had come from.

"Alright, fine.  The three new Gryffindor Chasers are Ginny Weasley, Randall Price and Buffy Summers," he announced.  

There was a burst of applause, whilst some others groaned in disappointment.  Hermione gave Buffy a quick hug, and Buffy just grinned widely.  She and Ginny shared excited looks, before everyone turned their attention back to Harry and Ron.

"As you know, we'll be sorting out who will be our two new Beaters in just a moment.  We've narrowed down the field a little, and we've eliminated a few of you.  So, if the people on this list would like to stand up: Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Dennis Creevey, Natalie McDonald, Andrew Kirk and Jack Sloper.  The rest of you…we're sorry."

Most of the crowd dispersed, leaving only the six people on the list, as well as the three new Chasers and Hermione.

After another set of try-outs, the two new Beaters were announced.  Seamus and Jack had been chosen, much to the others disappointment.  

The Seven members of the Gryffindor Quidditch team (plus Hermione) made their way back up to the Castle, all of them talking excitedly about when their first practice would be.  They would be fitted with uniforms the following weekend, and would began having practice as soon as the uniforms were done.

Ron stepped up beside Hermione and looked at her worriedly.

"You're not upset with me and Harry, are you?" Ron asked nervously.

Hermione looked at him curiously, her eyes conveying her complete confusion.

"Upset about what?" she asked.

"Y'know.  About not placing you on the team," he clarified.

Hermione's eyes widened with sudden comprehension.  She smiled and shook her head, stopping in place and tugging Ron's wrist to get him to stop as well.  Harry and Buffy paused to see if they would be needed, but when they saw Hermione place her hand on Ron's cheek, they just grinned at each other and kept walking up towards Hogwarts.

"I'm not upset," she replied honestly.  "Truly, I didn't even want to be on the team in the first place."

Ron sighed with relief, reading the sincerity in his girlfriend's eyes.  He realised the intimate position they were in, and, deciding to keep the mood rather than back away in embarrassment, he ducked his head down to meet hers, his lips gently brushing Hermione's.

He brought a hand up to touch a lock of Hermione's hair, lovingly touching her face as he did so.  

"I dunno what I'd do without you Hermione," he whispered softly.

She smiled up at him shyly, a faint blush rising on her cheeks.  "Let's not find out."

---

Awww…mush.  *sniff*  Many thanks for your reviews!!

Toodles.

K.


	17. The Lessons

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: THE LESSONS

Harry and Ron were distracted.  Of course, that wasn't unusual, seeing as they were sitting in Professor Snape's classroom in the coldness of the dungeons, but they were distracted because of their girlfriends.  Well, that wasn't entirely unusual either, but the reason they were distracted by their girlfriends was because their girlfriends weren't there.

When Buffy had announced that she would be taking her sixth and seventh year combined, Harry hadn't really thought about what it would mean, and so had never really considered that Buffy wouldn't be in class with him all the time.  As it turned out, the only classes that Hermione and Buffy shared with Ron and Harry was Defence Against the Dark Arts and Transfigurations.  The rest of their classes were being taken with the Seventh Year students.

Of course, for Buffy and Hermione, it meant that they needed to adapt to being around students that they'd never really met before.  They were friendly enough with students in the lower years, mainly because of Ginny's friends constantly coming and going into their shared room, but they'd never really associated with the year directly above them.

So, while Ron and Harry suffered through Potions with Snape snapping at them for their lack of attention and deducting house points like there was no tomorrow, Buffy and Hermione were seated in the Seventh Year Muggle Studies class.  And, with both of them being brought up as muggles, it was more than slightly easy.  

Professor Kelness, the Muggle Studies Professor, was a particularly lenient Professor.  As a muggle born wizard, he was extremely laid back, and tended to look over students who chatted during class.

"God I miss Harry," Buffy whispered to Hermione.

Hermione nodded her agreement.  "Me too."

Buffy shot her friend a cheeky grin.

"There something going on between you and Harry that I should worry about?"

Hermione looked at her friend for a moment before working out what Buffy had just implied.  She rolled her eyes and hit Buffy's shoulder sharply.  Buffy held back a yelp and rubbed at her shoulder, still not used to not having tremendous amounts of strength.  

"I meant Ron," Hermione whispered.

Buffy just grinned and pretended to pay attention to the Professor when he turned to look at them.  

Meanwhile, down in the dungeons, Harry and Ron were miserably trying to put together a potion that needed delicacy.  Something which neither of the two boys had in great amounts.  Harry glanced over at Draco to see how the Slytherin boy was coping, but he seemed to have his own potion under control.

"Mr Potter," Snape growled angrily.  "Eyes on your own work."

Harry sighed and looked back at his own work.  When he was certain Snape had moved to torment another student, he glanced up again and saw Draco smirking at him.  Harry just returned the smirk and rolled his eyes.

"Good work Mr Malfoy," Snape complimented.  

Draco held back a grin and nodded his thanks to the Potions Master.  

"Pity that Miss Zabini can't comprehend the meaning of one drop of dragon's saliva, instead of two," Snape said angrily as the potion in question began to boil dangerously.  "_Evanesca_."

Blaise Zabini's potion disappeared without a trace, leaving behind a spotless cauldron.  Blaise sighed and moved to gather new ingredients.  

"Mind if I steal your leftover dragon's saliva?" Blaise asked Draco.

Draco just shrugged, not particularly caring one way or the other.  Blaise flashed him a predatory smile and took the vial of leftover saliva.  She held it up in front of her eyes and wrinkled her nose daintily.

"Disgusting isn't it?" she asked.

He narrowed his eyes and looked at her questioningly.  "What do you want?" 

Blaise huffed with anger and shot him an angry glare.  "I was just trying to be _nice_."

"Well, here's a tip," Draco said, lowering his voice.  "You're not nice.  You'll never be nice, and even if you were, I wouldn't care one way or the other."

He turned away from her, not wanting to see the angry red tinge of Blaise's face.  He caught Harry's eye and saw the Gryffindor boy looking at him as though he was crazy.  Ever since the conversation in the hospital wing between the two of them about Draco's love life, or lack thereof, Harry had been extremely conscious of the girls who spoke to Harry.  He couldn't believe that Draco was turning down each and every one of them, especially when the girl seemed to have made a genuine effort to strike up a conversation with the sullen platinum blonde boy.

"Get over her Malfoy," Blaise whispered angrily, leaning towards Draco so that he would be the only one to hear her.  "She's not worth it."

Draco turned to lo0ok at her, not quite understanding what she was saying.

"What the bloody hell are you on about woman?" he demanded.

"You know what I'm talking about," she replied.  "Just get over her.  You've convinced yourself you're in love with her, but she's not worth it.  You're so much better than that filthy Gryffindor."

Draco suddenly stood up and looked down at her, leaning towards her in a threatening manner.

"Don't ever talk about her like that again Zabini," he said quietly.  "You don't know the first thing about me or her, so don't go there."

"I mean to have you Malfoy," she said quietly, her eyes narrowed.  "And I will."

He shook his head, wondering whether or not Blaise was aware that she was insane.  "You'll never get your hands on me.  Ever.  You're not my type."

The smile that came to Blaise's face was incredibly creepy, and Draco couldn't help but wonder what it meant.  

"Not yet I'm not."

-----

Ooo, evil Blaise.  Very hard to switch between WYD Blaise and AWF Blaise.  Kinda fun though…


	18. The Fight

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: THE FIGHT

Draco Malfoy walked into the Slytherin Common Room, wanting nothing more than to slide into bed for the next hour before even glancing at his assignments that needed to be done.  The Gryffindors had their first Quidditch Practise, so he couldn't even go and annoy Harry, Hermione and Ron while he hung out with Buffy.  He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, stepping into the main area of the Common Room.

Inside, he found the strangest of sights.  Usually, there were students from every year crowding the area, but the only people he could see were other Sixth Year students.  He shrugged, not wanting to spend too much time thinking about the people he hadn't really spoken to in months.  Ever since his friendship with Buffy had struck up, he'd distanced himself from the other Slytherins.  He'd never really had any true friends until Buffy, and her friends by extension, and hanging out with the other Slytherins wasn't something that he really liked to do.

He went to walk past them, but Crabbe and Goyle stood up, crossing their arms in front of themselves in a threatening gesture.  He just looked at them, one eyebrow raised and tried to move past them.  They didn't budge.

"Very funny you two," he said with a scowl.  "Move."

"No."

Draco pulled himself up to his full height, which was still a good inch and a half shorter than the other two bulky boys, but he knew how to intimidate people.

"Move or I'll make you move," he said quietly.

Theordore Nott, another Sixth Year boy stood up and moved to flank Crabbe and Goyle.  Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode moved to stand on the other side.

"This isn't funny," Draco said.

Pansy smirked and shook her head.  "It's not meant to be funny Malfoy," she said, pronouncing his surname with as much disdain as she could muster.  "You betrayed us."

"You betrayed yourselves," Draco replied.  "Your parents were the idiots who thought that Voldemort could actually bring them to power."

"And if your little girlfriend hadn't have proven herself to be a murderer, he _would_ have brought us all to power," Theodore said angrily.  

"We would have been rich…famous.  We could have had anything," Pansy continued.

Draco subtly moved his hands to reach for his wand, thankful that they weren't paying as much attention to him as they should have been.  He'd been waiting for this moment to come, and he'd grown lax and complacent about it when none of the Slytherins had made their move.  But now it seemed that he was about to get the full brunt of their anger.

"We always thought you were one of us," Crabbe said.  "But you never were."

"That's a real tragedy," Draco retorted.  "None of you ever had a single original thought for yourselves.  None of you actually think about anything before doing it.  You all follow someone's orders, you try and gain power by making other people feel small.  But guess what?  You're nothing.  You have every chance to change now that Voldemort's finally gone, and you're not doing anything to try and make your lives better."

Goyle stepped forward and looked down at Draco.

"The time for speech giving's over Malfoy," he said threateningly.  "So save your breath."

Draco looked at his former 'friend' and smirked.  He shrugged.  "Okay." Before anyone could really tell what had happened, Draco's fist was buried in Goyle's face, and Goyle had stumbled backwards.  Crabbe stepped forward, to defend his fallen friend, his own fist shooting out towards Draco.  Draco ducked and aimed a shot at Crabbe's gut, hitting the other boy.  Unfortunately, with Crabbe being as large as he was, he barely registered the hit, and his own fist popped out to clip Draco's nose.

Draco stumbled backwards, only to be spun by Theodore, who punched Draco, hitting his eye.  Draco, enraged at being caught off guard, summoned his anger and decked Theodore, sending him to the floor.  He grabbed his wand and aimed it between the remaining people who were standing.  The girls backed off, not wanting to chance getting caught in a fight.  The boys, who were struggling to their feet glared at Draco angrily.

"You better watch your back Malfoy," Theodore warned.  "You'll never be welcomed in Slytherin again."

"Such a shame," Draco replied.  He shoved past everyone and headed towards his room.  He quickly stuffed most of his belongings into his trunk, packing it in as tightly as he could.  With a simple charm, he'd made the trunk feather light.  He turned towards the Gryffindor tower and aimed his wand.

"_Accio Potter's invisibility cloak!_"

He just hoped that Harry wouldn't kill him later on.  Nearly a full minute later, the door to the Slytherin dorms flew open and Draco caught the cloak.  Obviously someone had been leaving the Common Room at the time that the invisibility cloak was coming through.  He shrugged at his good fortune and threw the cloak over the trunk.  He didn't want the Slytherins knowing where he was going.

He made his way out of the dorm and through the Common Room.  Thankfully he was ignored by everyone as he left.  As the Common Room door closed behind him, he heard someone requesting for them to change the password.  He shrugged, not particularly caring whether or not he was locked out of his own Common Room anymore.

------------------------

Buffy, Ron, Harry and Ginny made their way towards the Gryffindor Tower, having just finished their Quidditch Practise.  They were all decked out in their uniforms, the maroon and gold sweaters, bright red cloaks, cream slacks and brown safety pads covering their bodies.  They were each holding onto their brooms.  Giles had relented, agreeing to pay for Buffy's new Firebolt that matched Harry's perfectly.

They were halfway across the Entrance Hall when they were greeted by the sight of Draco Malfoy, looking like he'd never looked before.  He wasn't quite upset, or angry, or relieved.  It was a strange combination of so many emotions.

"Drake?" Buffy asked.

He looked up at his cousin and tried to give her a half-smile.

"What's wrong?"

Draco sighed and lifted the invisibility cloak.  It didn't take Buffy long to realise what had happened.  She threw her arms around Draco, embracing him tightly.  Harry and Ron had the decency to turn away when they saw tears in Draco's eyes.  Ginny looked on, feeling her own heart break for the Slytherin boy.  

Buffy drew away and looked at Draco closely.  His lip was split and she could tell that his eye would be swollen if they didn't do anything about it and soon.  She turned to look at Harry and Ron.

"Could you guys take Drake's stuff up to Giles' room?  I'm gonna take Drake up to see Madam Pomfrey," Buffy explained.

Ron and Harry nodded and resettled the cloak over the trunk.  They grabbed a handle and began walking.  Ginny hovered for a moment before deciding to follow Buffy and Draco towards the infirmary.

"You really don't need to come Weasley," Draco said, not unkindly.

Ginny blushed slightly and shrugged.  "I just want to make sure you're alright Malfoy."

Draco, too tired to really put up much of a fight, shrugged.  Buffy looked at the younger girl speculatively.  She could see the blush rising on Ginny's cheeks.  There was definitely something more to Ginny's interest than met the eyes.  She grinned, wondering what Ron would think when he discovered his youngest and only sister had a crush on the former bad boy of Slytherin.

-----

Many thanks for your feedback!!

Ooo, I nearly forgot.  My abandoned fics are up.  You can access them through my website.  The URL's in my profile, so feel free to go take a squiz if you feel like reading some of my unfinished stories.  

DKG


	19. The Slytherins

CHAPTER NINETEEN: THE SLYTHERINS

When Draco entered the DADA classroom, he was met with a chorus of snickers from the Slytherin students.  He rolled his eyes, trying to convince himself that he wasn't hurt.  Unfortunately, even though he didn't really like any of the Slytherins, it still hurt to know that they hadn't held any real affection for him.  He took a seat beside Buffy, allowing her to momentarily squeeze his hand in a show of support.

Hermione had sat beside Neville so that Draco would be able to sit with Buffy, knowing that the Slytherin boy wouldn't want to be seated anywhere near his house-mates.  Unfortunately for Draco and Buffy though, the seat directly behind them was free, seeing as Ron and Harry were running somewhat late.

Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zabini sat in the free seat, giggling and snickering loudly.

"Honestly, I can't believe he'd let himself sink so low as to accept help from muggle-loving Gryffindors," Blaise said, pointing at Draco.

Draco rolled his eyes and resolutely kept staring at the front of the classroom, wishing that Giles would walk in and begin the class.  He didn't particularly want to sit and listen to people teasing him.

"You can't blame him for sucking up to Summers though," Blaise continued.  "I mean, if she's really as powerful as the Ministry seems to think she is, then of course Malfoy's going to do anything to become her lapdog.  When she finally follows in her father's footsteps like everyone thinks she will, Malfoy will be the first to join up."

Draco's fist clenched angrily.  He could handle the insults, but he didn't particularly like how they were talking about Buffy.

Buffy definitely didn't like them talking about her cousin so badly.  She turned around and glared at the two girls.

"You know, if you're gonna insult someone that the Ministry is _afraid_ of, you may want to do it a little more quietly," Buffy said, her voice soft and angry.

Blaise glared right back at her.

"Are you threatening me, Summers?" 

"Do you want me to?" Buffy replied, a false sickly sweet smile on her face.

They sat staring at each other, a contest of wills to see who would turn away first.  Of course, Buffy had had far more practise in staring competitions. She'd never backed down from a challenge, especially not one from a girl who was a year younger than her and had no real power over her.  Blaise was the first one to break their contest.

The Slytherin girl scoffed with disgust and looked away.  Buffy grinned and turned back around.  Before she knew it, she felt a sharp stinging sensation in her scalp.

She whipped around to face Pansy and Blaise and found them sitting with smug smiles on their faces.

"Resorting to hair pulling are you?" Buffy said angrily, resisting the urge to reach up and massage her head, annoyed with herself for not having sensed the movement.  Had she still had her slaying abilities, she wouldn't have had any problems with stopping her.  "Grade school much?"

Blaise chose not to respond, merely folding her hands demurely in her lap, when in reality, she was tucking the strand of blonde hair into a pocket of her robes for safekeeping.  She knew how much damage having a piece of hair would be in a spell.  All she had to do now was to find a perfect spell to completely ruin Buffy Summers life.

Buffy turned back around and shared a look with Draco.

"Why do I get the feeling this is the beginning of a very long year?" Buffy whispered.

Draco half-smiled at her and nodded.

They were thankfully saved by Giles coming in just as Harry and Ron ran in, just before the doors were closed.

------------------------

Draco was extremely uncomfortable.  It wasn't a feeling that he liked.  He looked around the Gryffindor Common Room, taking in the bright red and gold that adorned the walls.  Buffy sunk into the seat next to him.

"Would you relax?" she said quietly.  "No one cares that you're here."

He scowled at her.  "I care.  I'm…"

"So conditioned into thinking that Gryffindors are the scum of the earth that even now you can't even recognise that we're your friends?" she finished for him.

Draco sighed, knowing that she was right. It was a hard pill to swallow.  He'd been thrown out of his own house, only to be taken in by the very people who theoretically should have hated him the most.  

"Besides, you're here by choice remember?  Snape said that the Slytherins can't actually kick you out.  If you didn't want to be here, you could go back there," Buffy reminded him.

"I think I'll pass on that option thank you very much," he replied.  "Besides, Professor Giles is letting me stay in his study.  It's as close to a private room as I'm going to get."

From Harry and Ron's table there was a sudden shout of jubilation as Ron won yet another game of Wizard's Chess.  Harry groaned and ran frustrated hands through his hair.

"I am _never_ going to win against you," Harry complained, giving Ron a friendly grin.

Ron just grinned back, knowing that his best friend would never be able to take him in a match of chess.  It was just about the only thing he was actually better at than Harry, and he prided himself on that fact.  He didn't rub it into Harry of course, seeing as Harry never rubbed in his talents to Ron, but he was definitely proud of his achievements.

"Go again?" Ron asked.

Harry just shook his head and stood up from the table.  "Not a chance."

Ron glanced over to Draco and Buffy.

"How 'bout it Buff?" Ron asked, still grinning.  "You want a go?"

Buffy just shook her head laughing.  "If you want a three second game, then yeah sure.  I'm so not the chess player," she said.

Ron sighed in disappointment and was about to pack up his chess kit, when Draco surprisingly spoke up.

"I'll go against you," Draco offered.  "If you're game."

Ron looked at his former enemy curiously.  He'd never actually spoken to Draco without Buffy being around, or without accusing him of some sort of evil plan.  To have the Slytherin boy offering to challenge him in chess was slightly strange.  But Ron wasn't one to back down from a challenge, especially not one from a Slytherin.

"You're on."

------------------------

Ron stared intently at the chessboard.  The Gryffindors were gathered around the two boys who were playing chess in the middle of the Gryffindor Common Room.  Buffy had a big grin on her face and was barely containing excited squeals.  Ginny was grinning in much the same way, while Harry and Hermione were standing behind Ron looking pensive.  

Draco moved his Queen forward and Ron dropped his head onto the table, groaning in defeat.  Without looking, Ron reached up, touched his King and flipped it on it's side, admitting defeat.

There was a sudden silence in the Common Room as the occupants looked on in shock.  They'd never seen Ron Weasley lose a single game of chess before.  For him to lose to Draco Malfoy was an even bigger shock.

Ron lifted his head up and grinned at Malfoy.  "Finally, a worthy opponent."

Draco couldn't help but grin, and the two boys shook hands amicably.  

Hermione smiled widely.  She'd half been expecting Ron to throw a temper tantrum about losing, but not only had he lost well, but he'd almost been thankful that he'd finally found someone to challenge him.  Somehow she wasn't surprised that the person to challenge her boyfriend was Draco Malfoy.  It seemed somewhat poignant.

"Go again?" Draco asked.

"Hell yes!"

The rest of the Gryffindors just groaned and moved away from the table.  Hermione, Buffy, Ginny and Harry were the only ones who stayed to watch.

Harry moved to sit beside Buffy, draping an arm around her waist.  Buffy rested her head against Harry's shoulder and closed her eyes contently.  

"Wanna go sit in our corner?" Buffy asked.

Harry didn't even have to think about his answer.  He eased Buffy into a standing position then stood up, leading her towards their corner, that they had claimed on Christmas Eve the year before.  He sat down, leaning against the wall and pulled Buffy down to sit with her back to his chest between his legs.  

"So, Malfoy keeps bragging that he met Willow," Harry said as Buffy snuggled against him.  His arms wrapped around her small waist, revelling in the feeling of her warm body against his.  "When do I get to meet your best friend in the world?"

Buffy turned to look at her boyfriend.  She could read in his eyes the genuine interest in meeting her friend from Sunnydale.

"Well, I doubt Dumbledore would be too thrilled about the two of us disappearing off school grounds," Buffy said, slowly contemplating their options.

Harry's grin got wider.  "You're saying that just to tempt me aren't you?" 

Buffy rolled her eyes.  "After what happened last year, I don't think it's a good idea for us to just disappear."

Harry sighed and knew that his girlfriend was right.  

"Well, you ask, and then we'll go.  Next weekend maybe?" he suggested.

Buffy nodded and grinned widely.  "Sounds good."

Harry smiled and tightened his grip on Buffy, running his hands sensually up her sides.  Buffy's heart caught in her throat and she closed her eyes, leaning against him.

"Maybe we should take this somewhere a little less open," Harry whispered.

Buffy nodded, her eyes still closed.  Harry went to shift them so they could stand up, but Buffy's hand caught his before he could move.  So shifted her position so that she could kiss him properly.  Mid-way through the kiss, the Sixth-Year Gryffindor couple apparated.  None of their friends even noticed their absence.

Harry opened his eyes and took in the messy boys Sixth-Year dorm room.  He grinned as he realised they were sitting on his bed in the same position they'd been in down in the Common Room.

"You're getting good at that," Harry whispered as he carefully slid out of his cloak, leaving him in jeans and a sweater.

"What?  Kissing you?" she asked, smiling cheekily.

"Apparating," he replied, as he began removing Buffy's cloak, taking in the black pants, light blue strappy top and matching cardigan.  "But the kissing is definitely good."

They manoeuvred themselves into a more comfortable position, both of them laying on the bed, Harry laying half on top of Buffy, his weight resting on his elbows next to Buffy's shoulders.  He pulled back a little and smiled at her softly.  Buffy felt herself go pink under his scrutiny of her, but let Harry continue to look at her.  Her eyes caught his and she found herself drowning in a sea of emerald green.  He smiled at her again and bent his head down, nuzzling her neck, trailing soft kisses along her skin.

"You…feel…so…good," he whispered in between kisses.

Buffy was incapable of actually speaking at that point in time.  It had been far too long since Angel, and the desire she felt for Harry was too much for her to handle.  She brought a hand up to tangle in Harry's hair and pulled him gently towards her, kissing him passionately.  

Buffy sighed happily as she felt Harry's hands move beneath her shirt, his hands touching her warm skin, gently memorising the flatness of her stomach.  Buffy pulled Harry further on top of her, sliding her hands beneath Harry's sweater and trailing her hands across the expanse of his back.  Harry slid his hands along Buffy's waist, moved back slightly and slowly pulled Buffy's cardigan off her, leaving her in just the singlet top and pants.  

Buffy ran her hands back down Harry's back, over his backside, and moved her right hand to the zipper of his pants.  Just as she was about to undo the button, she heard the door open.  The subsequent "oh holy god" was as effective as any cold shower.  Harry groaned and buried his face in Buffy's hair.  Buffy couldn't help but smile, even though she was tremendously embarrassed.

"I am so sorry," Ron said quickly.  "I uh…I didn't realise…I should…I should go.  So…yeah.  That's what I'll do."

Buffy giggled and gently shoved Harry slightly, sending him rolling off her.  She stood up, retrieved her cardigan and cloak and grinned at Ron.

"It's okay.  I should be heading up to my own room anyway." She leant over and kissed Harry once more as a goodbye.  He kissed back with enthusiasm and whined in protest when she pulled back.  She grinned at him and kissed his cheek quickly, waving at Ron as she left the room in a hurry.

"You two really need to find somewhere else to do that sort of stuff," Ron said.

Harry groaned dramatically and threw an arm over his face.  His reply of "I know" was muffled by his jumper.

Ron just grinned, shaking his head in silent laughter.  He flopped down onto Harry's bed, sitting next to the distressed teen.

"I can't believe you and Buffy have actually talked about…well, you know," Ron said.

Harry removed his arm from across his face and sat up on the bed.  He grinned happily.

"It's pretty amazing," Harry replied.  "And…it's not just about sex.  I mean…yes, we'll be _having_ sex, but…there's more to it than that.  I love her, and she loves me, and…it's going to be so special between us."

Ron smirked and clapped a hand on Harry's shoulder as he stood up.  "I'm going to pretend I didn't hear anything so very unmanly."

Harry glared at his best friend.  "You think it's unmanly to be in love with someone?" Harry demanded.  "Because I'm sure Hermione would just _love_ to hear something like that."

Ron went bright red and sputtered on his words.  "Well…I didn't mean it _exactly_.  I was just…it was only…I was just teasing."

Harry grinned and nodded.  He understood even if Ron didn't.

"I know.  You're trying to act like everyone thinks you should act in regards to sex.  Whenever anyone else spoke about it, it was always considered feminine to think of it as an emotional act of love, rather than just a physical act of sexual gratification," Harry explained.

Ron raised his eyebrows speculatively.  "Where the hell do you come up with this stuff?" he asked.

Harry just grinned.  "What can I say?  I'm the perfect male."

"Modest too."

-----

Many thanks for your reviews!  Sneak preview: 

_He licked his dry lips and ducked down to kiss her._

_"Are you sure about this?" he whispered._

_"Absolutely."_

DKG.


	20. The Room

CHAPTER TWENTY: THE ROOM

The Gryffindor Common Room was incredibly quiet for a Saturday morning.  The weather outside was gorgeous, making it a perfect day for everyone to not be in the castle.  Of course, this gave Harry and Buffy the perfect opportunity to stay inside and take advantage of the peace and quiet.

There was a red and gold striped tie on the floor in front of the door to the boys room, something that Harry had discussed (haltingly and with a bright red face) with Ron, Dean, Seamus and Neville.  The boys had teased him mercilessly for about an hour, but had promised to knock before entering whenever the tie was on the door.

Unfortunately for Harry, his knot-tying skills were poor at best, and the tie had slipped from the door handle, onto the floor, making it seem as though someone had randomly lost a tie.  It had been kicked further down the corridor by the stampede of people who had left the Grffindor Tower.

So, when Buffy and Harry where in the middle of an extremely intense make-out session, they weren't expecting to be walked in on yet again.

"Cripes!"

Buffy and Harry pulled away from each other, and Buffy scrambled to find her missing shirt.  Seamus went bright red, trying to avert his eyes, but as a healthy Irish male, he found himself unable to look away from Buffy's tanned torso.  Buffy, blushing brilliantly, pulled her shirt back on and glared at Harry.

"You said they wouldn't be walking in on us anymore!" she yelled angrily.

Harry shrugged helplessly.  "They weren't meant to!" He turned to glare at Seamus, who was still having problems taking his eyes off Buffy, even though she was completely covered once again.  Harry's eyes narrowed even further when he saw Seamus' lust-filled eyes.  "You're not meant to come in here when the tie is on the door!"

Seamus was finally shocked out of his trance and gestured towards the open door.

"There's no tie on there Harry," Seamus protested.

Harry stood up and went to see for himself.  He scowled as he saw his tie crumpled and lying several feet away.  He retrieved it and tried to straighten it out.

"Nice one Harry," Buffy said sarcastically.  She was definitely annoyed and more than a little frustrated.  She'd been embarrassed enough when she'd heard about the arrangement with the other Sixth-Year boys in regards to the tie, but knowing that Harry hadn't even been able to properly use their system was aggravating.

Seamus ignored the extremely red couple and retrieved the half-completed homework that he'd come in for.  Without another word, he slipped out of the dorm room.

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his mussed up hair.

"I'm really sorry," he said quietly.

Buffy sighed and sat herself next to him. S he took his hand and squeezed it gently.

"It's okay.  I'm just…we really need to find somewhere private," she whispered.

Harry nodded and wracked his brain, trying to come up with somewhere they could have even an hour away from the hustle and bustle of Hogwarts.

"Don't suppose Dumbledore would let you apparate us out of here for a while?" Harry suggested.

Buffy just grinned.  "Somehow I doubt that.  He's been nice enough to let Willow come and visit next weekend.  I doubt he'd be too keen on the two of us disappearing just because we want to get frisky with each other."

Harry sighed and lay back on his bed.  

"What we need is a miracle," he commented.  

They both lapsed into quiet contemplation.  Harry reached over to his dresser drawer and pulled out a piece of blank parchment that looked as though it had seen better days.  Buffy looked at him curiously.  He just winked at her and pulled out his wand.  He pointed it to the parchment.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Buffy watched in amazement as a map of the Hogwarts grounds suddenly appeared.  She grinned widely and looked at Harry.

"Where did you get this?" she asked.

"My dad made it.  He, Sirius, Remus and…Wormtail," Harry explained, his voice catching at the thought of the fourth of the Marauder's who had betrayed the other three.  Harry's parents were dead because Peter Pettigrew had betrayed them.  Thankfully Pettigrew was now in Azkaban Prison.

They sat there studying the map.  Buffy was surprised by the amount of secret passages that were marked on it.  She hadn't realise how complex Hogwarts really was.  Harry was pointing out different sections of the school, knowing it far better than Buffy did.

"That's the Chamber of Secrets there," Harry pointed out.  "My dad and his friends didn't actually know about it, but I keep adding to the map whenever I find new rooms."

Buffy nodded and silently kept looking.  It didn't look as though there was anywhere that would actually work for a room of their own.  Harry sighed as he came to a similar conclusion.  He tapped the map once more.

"Mischief managed."

Before they could say anything to each other, a loud crack sounded in the room, the noise making the two teens jump.  Both Buffy and Harry had their wands out before they even realised they'd reached for them.

When Harry saw who the intruder was, he lowered his wand and sighed with relief.  Buffy, however, remained dubious.

"Dobby, what are you doing here?" Harry asked.

"Who or what is that?" Buffy whispered to Harry.

"Dobby the House-Elf at your service," Dobby replied, bowing slightly.

Buffy nodded and looked to Harry, still not entirely certain about the small creature that bore a startling resemblance to Yoda.

"He's a friend," Harry explained.

Buffy watched in amazement as the house elf nearly burst into tears at Harry's proclamation.  Dobby wiped his eyes with what looked to be a tea cosy.  Harry just grinned as he saw Buffy's complete confusion.

"Dobby is glad to be friends with Harry Potter," Dobby commented tearfully.

Harry just smiled kindly at the creature.  "What brings you up here Dobby?"

Dobby's tears stopped and he looked at Harry with a knowing smile.  "Dobby is knowing that Harry Potter is wishing for a…private room," Dobby commented.

The two teens went an even brighter red than they had when Seamus had walked in on them.  

"Dobby is knowing where Harry Potter could find one," the house elf continued.

Harry's eyes lit up, and he knew that if Dobby wasn't lying or kidding, he would definitely be buying Dobby a year's supply of gloves to go with the fourth years supply of socks.

"Where's that then Dobby?" Harry asked.

Dobby smiled and stepped forward, grabbing hand tugging on Harry's hand.

"Dobby can't tell you sir.  But Dobby can show you."

------------------------

Buffy and Harry followed Dobby through the labyrinth of corridors until they reached the seventh floor.  They came to a halt in front of a blank wall opposite a tapestry depicting Barnabas the Barmy's foolish attempt to train trolls for the ballet.  Harry looked at the house elf who was still smiling with pride.

"This is where Dobby will leave Harry Potter, sir," Dobby said.

"But…Dobby…where is this place?" Harry asked.

Dobby smiled.  "Harry Potter must walk up and down in front of this wall three times, thinking of the place that you need."

With that, plus a loud crack, the house elf disappeared.  Buffy looked at Harry, still not entirely convinced that the house elf was on the level.

"Is he always like that?" she asked.

"He's usually worse," he replied with a smile.  He knew that Dobby usually meant well, but he knew the saying about good intentions.

"And I thought Dumbledore had that weird psychic mojo working for him," Buffy commented.  "Yoda junior is just creepy.  How did he know we wanted a room to ourselves?"

Harry just shrugged and began pacing, thinking in his mind about what they wanted.  As he turned back on the third go around, a door appeared.  Buffy gasped, and looked at Harry, completely stunned.

"Well…" Harry trailed off.  He took Buffy by the hand, suddenly feeling incredibly nervous.  "Let's see where Dobby's led us this time.  That house elf has a tendency to get me into trouble even when he's trying to help."

Harry turned the knob on the door and the two teens entered.  They both came to a complete halt as they took in the room in front of them.  The door closed quietly behind them, a lock clicking shut.  Out in the corridor, the doorway shimmered and disappeared to nothingness.  

Buffy swallowed hard as she took in the large room, lit only by candlelight.  In the centre of the room was a four-poster bed, larger than the ones in the dormitories.  The sheets were made of a deep red silk, pillows strewn across the bed haphazardly.  The walls to the room were a dark red, adding to the general theme of the room.

"Wow," Buffy whispered breathlessly.  She felt Harry wrap his arms around her waist and pull her so that she was leaning against his chest.  She sank into him, feeling Harry's heart begin to beat frantically.  "What is this place?"

"I have no idea," Harry replied, keeping his voice low and quiet.  He wasn't sure why he was whispering, but it seemed to fit the general mood.  "We'll have to ask Dobby about it.  Or Dumbledore."

Buffy giggled and turned in Harry's arms.  "Can you imagine asking Dumbledore about this room?" she asked.

Harry grinned and pressed his forehead against Buffy's.  He could feel his heart racing frantically, his pams beginning to get sweaty.  His mouth was dry and he was swallowing convulsively.

Buffy noticed his nervousness and moved one of her hands up to cup his cheek.  "We don't have to do this," she whispered.  "I mean…if you're not ready, then-"

Harry cut her off, kissing her passionately, forcefully.  Buffy returned the kiss, giving as good as she got.  The young couple stumbled their way to the bed, Buffy nearly tripping as her knees hit the edge.  She sat and shuffled backwards, kicking off her shoes and toeing off her socks.  Harry followed her example and then climbed onto the bed after her.

He licked his dry lips and ducked down to kiss her.

"Are you sure about this?" he whispered.

"Absolutely."

She smiled softly at him and reached up to kiss him.  With great care and gentleness, she helped him out of his sweater and pulled off the t-shirt that covered his torso.  She drank in the sight of his well-muscled body.  She giggled as an absent thought flittered through her mind.

"What?" Harry whispered, slightly worried by the giggling.

"You seriously need a tan," she replied.  

Harry went to reply, but found that he'd lost his words when Buffy's tongue darted out to lick his chest.  Buffy moved quickly and flipped them over so that Harry was lying on his back, looking up at her.  She paused for a moment and Harry couldn't help but worry.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

She hesitated before nodding and bringing her lips down to meet hi once more.

"Swear you're not going to wake up evil," she whispered.

Harry couldn't help but smile.  He nodded and kissed her passionately.  "I swear."

She grinned and swiftly pulled off her shirt.  "Okay then."

-----

I've said it before, and I'll say it again.  I don't write sex scenes.  Still not sure why, I just can't bring myself to do so.

Orright, Lisette's been breaking into my files or something.  Grrr.  *lol* Nice guess!

Many thanks to everyone for your feedback!!  Seriously very encouraging!

Toodles.


	21. The Morning After

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: THE MORNING AFTER

Sunshine shone through the window, creating a light glow on the sleeping couple.  Harry was the first to awaken, smiling as he remembered the previous nights activities.  He reached for his glasses, which were on the nightstand next to the bed.  He ran his hands lightly through Buffy's hair and rested them on the small of her back.

Buffy stirred and lifted her head from Harry's chest.  She opened her eyes to see Harry staring intently at her.  She smiled shyly and blushed.  Harry felt his heart about to burst.  He'd never felt anything like this before.  He was fairly certain that feeling this happy was a rare occurrence.  He smiled contently and leaned down to kiss his girlfriend.

Buffy sighed happily into the kiss and ran her hands over his bare chest.  They pulled apart breathless and dizzy.

"Not evil?" she asked.

He grinned at her and kissed her once more.  "Depends on your definition of evil," he replied.

Buffy shivered at the sound of his voice, which sounded incredibly deep from sleep.

"Well, what's your definition?" she countered.

Harry gripped Buffy's waist and flipped them so Buffy was beneath him.  He stared at her naked form, smiling appreciatively.  He lowered his mouth to her stomach and placed nipping kisses over her well-toned stomach.  He began moving slowly lower, and just as he'd made Buffy almost incoherent with lust, he stopped.

Buffy whined with no words and Harry just laughed, moving back up to kiss her neck.

"How's that for evil?" he whispered.

"Harry," she whined.  "God, please…"

He grinned and moved his lips back down her body.  The rest of their conversation was filled with moans, groans, and general sounds of pleasure.

------------------------

Hermione and Ron met in the Common Room, grinning as they greeted each other with a kiss.

"Morning," Hermione whispered.

"Morning to you too," Ron replied.  

They kissed deeply and passionately, ignoring the stares they got from other students.  They'd learnt to ignore the curious people who looked at them whenever they showed their affection publicly.

They pulled apart and revelled in the feel of each other as they hugged.

"Ron?"

"Mmm?"

"Was Harry in your room last night?" Hermione asked.

Ron looked thoughtful and shook his head.  He'd thought it odd, but he'd been too tired to really question it.  He'd noticed that Harry hadn't been in the room in the morning either, but that wasn't anything too out of the ordinary.  Harry had often woken up before Ron, and it had never been cause for concern.

"No…why do you ask?" Ron replied.

"Buffy didn't come back last night either," Hermione explained.

Ron's face got a speculative look and he raised his eyebrows suspiciously.  "You think they spent the night together?"

Hermione shrugged and nodded.  "They've been talking about it recently," Hermione commented.  "Maybe they finally found a place."

"Maybe who finally found a place?" a new voice asked.

Ron and Hermione turned to see a grinning Harry and Buffy holding hands, having just come through the portrait.  Ron and Hermione shared a look and couldn't help but laugh at their friends obvious happiness.  There was only one word to adequately describe how Harry and Buffy looked.  Sated.

Hermione and Buffy shared a look, having a silent conversation.  Buffy was smiling and blushing brilliantly.  Hermione was grinning.  Harry and Ron just stood there in amusement as Hermione and Buffy hugged enthusiastically.

"I want details," Hermione whispered to Buffy as they pulled apart.

Ron grinned at Harry.  "So…"

Harry just laughed and brought his arms back around his girlfriend, hugging her closely.  "So…we had a good night."

Ron went to make a lewd comment, but seeing the matching smiles on Harry and Buffy's faces, he just couldn't bring himself to do it.  "Congratulations you guys."

"Thanks," the couple replied simultaneously.

They lapsed into silence, not entirely awkward or uncomfortable, but still silent.

"So…breakfast?" Ron asked.

The group was thankful for the topic, and quickly agreed to it, moving out of the Common Room and down towards the Great Hall.

------------------------

The four friends were seated at the Gryffindor Table, eating breakfast and talking quietly about their various lessons and assignments, as well as the age-old custom of discussing their Professors.  Harry and Buffy were almost hyper-aware of each other.  They sat as closely as they could, their hands brushing against each others as often as possible, the two of them whispering sweet nothings in the other's ear whenever they could.

Ron and Hermione fought the urge to either laugh or smile at their friends behaviour, but ultimately found the entire thing incredibly cute.  Somehow they knew that the smiles that were on their friends faces were worth everything they'd had to put up with over the last year or so.  

Of course, the smiles were short lived.  Hermione and Ron were the first to notice, and their grins turned to expressions of worry when Professor Mcgonagall and Giles came to a stand still behind the happy couple.  Harry and Buffy saw their friends lose their smiles and turned to see what had caused the problem.

They were met with the stern looks of the Professors.  Buffy immediately turned her gaze to her mentor and pseudo-father, who was blushing slightly.  She couldn't help but wonder how exactly the Professors knew about what she and Harry had been up to the night before, but she knew that Giles was definitely aware of it.

"We'd uh…like a word with the two of you," Giles said.  His voice was gentle, quiet and gave absolutely nothing away.  

Buffy and Harry exchanged worried glances, but knew that they had no choice but to follow Giles and Professor McGonagall out of the Hall.  They clasped hands, both of them feeling horribly nervous.  Just outside the Great Hall was Professor Dumbledore who was smiling slightly.  His expression eased the minds of both teens immediately, but they couldn't help but wonder what they'd been called out of breakfast for.  Surely they weren't the first Hogwarts students to sleep together within the castle.

"Morning sir," Harry said quietly, not quite able to meet the Headmaster's gaze.  He wasn't ashamed of what he'd done with Buffy, but having his Professors know about it wasn't the most comforting thought.

"Good morning Mr Potter, Miss Summers," Dumbledore said, his voice slightly jovial.  "It is good to see the two of you in such high spirits."

"Well, you know us…Sunday mornings and all that.  Who among us can resist the lure of a sunny morning and barely any homework," Buffy quipped nervously.

Giles could tell that his young charge was uncomfortable.  He couldn't help but remove his glasses and polish them with a handkerchief, soothing his somewhat frazzled nerves.

"Buffy, you're not in trouble," he assured her quietly.

The blonde girl immediately relaxed a little, and she felt Harry do the same, their grips on each others hands loosening significantly. 

"Believe me, you two are not the first students to be in a loving relationship with each other," Dumbledore assured them.  "But you are the first to make use of the room that Dobby showed you."

"We were wondering how to ask you about that," Buffy said, a grin coming to her face as she remembered the conversation from the previous evening.  "What is that place?"

"It is called the Room of Requirement," Dumbledore replied.  "It is an enchanted room that reacts to your requirements.  I believe I may have mentioned it to you before Mr Potter."

Harry cast his memory back to the numerous conversations he'd had with Professor Dumbledore over the years.  He couldn't think of a single time when that room had ever been mentioned to him before.  It hit him with a sudden jolt.  Dumbledore had mentioned it to him.  It had only been in passing, but Dumbledore had mentioned something about bathrooms appearing at three in the morning.  Harry had thought it to be a joke, but apparently it had been more than that.

"The bathrooms in the middle of the night," Harry said quietly.

"Precisely," Dumbledore replied with a smile.  

"Okay…soooo…cool room and all, but…if we're not in trouble, then why the sudden summit meeting?" Buffy asked.

"We wish for you to not reveal the room to anyone else," McGonagall explained.  

"Except perhaps to Mr Weasley and Miss Granger," Dumbledore added quickly, knowing that no power on the earth could ever keep Harry or Buffy from telling their friends about what they'd discovered.

"That room is not something to be toyed with," McGonagall continued.  "If that room were to be discovered by students better left un-named, it would be quite disastrous."

Buffy couldn't help the snort of laughter that came to her involuntarily.  The three Professors and Harry turned to look at her.

"Sorry," she said, still laughing slightly.  "It's just, can you imagine if Fred and George Weasley had ever discovered that room before they graduated?  I don't even want to imagine what they'd require."

Harry grinned, loving that his girlfriend could find humour in a situation where she was so obviously uncomfortable.  

"Precisely the point that Professor McGonagall was trying to make," Dumbledore said.  "Though I think perhaps she was hinting more towards students who would use the room for more nefarious purposes."

"Right…weapons, dark magic books, maybe an army of vampires, that sort of thing?" Buffy asked.

The three Professors nodded.  

"You have our word," Harry said, rejoining the conversation.  "We won't tell anyone except Ron and Hermione."

There was a slightly uncomfortable silence.  Giles couldn't help but fall into the role of the concerned father figure as he turned towards Buffy with worried eyes.

"The two of you were careful, yes?"

Between the blushing and Buffy's giggles, they managed to explain about the two protection charms they'd used, unable to believe that Giles had actually asked.  When the two teens were dismissed, they were bight red and horribly embarrassed.

"Well, that coulda been worse."

------------------------

Buffy and Harry sat by the lake, Buffy seated between Harry's outstretched legs, her back to his front.  They were luxuriating in the sunlight, smiles on their faces as they enjoyed the quiet moment between them.

"This is quite possibly the strangest morning after I've ever had," Buffy said with a smile.  

"Not what I was hoping for," Harry admitted.  "Until we got to breakfast it was good.  I can't believe that the Professors all know."

A sudden and horrific thought snapped Buffy to attention.  She sat up, her eyes wide, looking at Harry in panic.

"Oh god…Snape knows.  He's never gonna give us a moment of peace," she said.

Harry hadn't thought of Snape.  "I never thought I'd say this, but thank God you're not in my Potions class anymore."

Buffy couldn't help but grin.  She forced herself to relax and melted back into Harry's arms, closing her eyes and nestling her head against his shoulder.

"Buffy?"

"Hmmm?"

"You don't have to answer, but…after you slept with Angel…did you…feel closer to him than before?" Harry asked.  He couldn't really explain it too well, but he was fairly sure that he hadn't been as in love with Buffy the day before as he was now.

Buffy stiffened slightly.  Harry knew the very basic facts of her relationship with Angel, but none of the horrific details that came with it.  He knew that Angel was a vampire and that he'd lost his soul, but Buffy hadn't told him the details of _how_ exactly Angel had lost it.

"Well…not exactly," Buffy said.  That wasn't entirely true.  When she'd first woken up, she'd felt extremely and utterly content.  It had vanished the second she'd reached her hand over to touch her sleeping lover and found him gone that everything had spiralled horribly out of control.

"You don't have to answer," Harry said quietly, knowing that this was an uncomfortable topic with his girlfriend.

"Well…I didn't exactly feel closer to him, because…well, the first conversation we had afterwards was…well, basically him telling me that what had happened between us hadn't meant a thing to him," Buffy explained.  She could still feel the coldness of Angelus' words.  They'd stung like nothing before.  "I didn't know it at the time, but he'd actually lost his soul sometime during the night."

Harry felt his heart break for his girlfriend.  He'd known that Angel losing his soul had wounded Buffy greatly, but to have it happen the night after sharing something so special was excruciating.  He couldn't imagine what he would do if he'd woken up and have Buffy tell him that he'd meant absolutely nothing to her.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

She nestled closer to him, grateful for the warmth that he was providing her.  "Not your fault," she replied quietly.  "And besides, the worst part came when he started threatening my friends, my family.  He killed Giles' girlfriend.  He blurted out to my mom that we'd slept together.  God, that was a fun conversation between us."

Buffy suddenly froze once more.  It had been so long wince she'd thought about Joyce Summers, let alone spoken about her.  

"Tell me about her," Harry said quietly, his breath tickling Buffy's neck, making her shiver slightly.  "What was your mum like?"

Buffy smiled at the memory of Joyce.  "She was beautiful," she whispered softly.  "Caring, loving.  She was good at being a mom.  I wasn't too much of a help though.  I was always getting in trouble, mainly cos of the Slayer thing.  She didn't know about that though, but…she still loved me.  She reacted badly when she found out, and…well, I ran away cos…well, she threw me out really.  But…when I came back, she forgave me.  She still loved me.  I'd like to think that it wasn't just cos of the spell…that she really did love me for who I was."

Harry held onto her tighter, seeing the tears forming in her eyes.  

"I know for a fact that she did Buffy," he whispered.  "Everyone who's ever crossed paths with you has no choice but to love you.  You tamed Malfoy, which is a feat everyone thought was literally impossible.  Your friends back in Sunnydale…the Scoobies, they love you.  Giles, and Ron and Hermione…Ginny, Lavender, Parvati, Dean, Seamus, Neville, Tara…all of us.  We all love you Buffy, so how could your mum not have?"

Buffy sighed and hoped that he was right.  Hearing her mother ask her who she was after Giles had reversed the spell to make her believe Buffy was her daughter had been one of the most painful moments of Buffy's life.

"Sometimes I wish I could have grown up with Sara," Buffy whispered honestly.  

"I know what you mean," Harry replied.  "Not knowing my real parents…it hurts."

Buffy smiled softly at him and turned in his arms to press a gentle kiss to his cheek.  

"They loved you so much Harry," Buffy whispered soothingly.  

"Just like Sara and Joyce loved you."

They sat in quiet contemplation for several moments, watching the rippling water of the lake.  Buffy suddenly laughed quietly.

"Well, that got depressing."

Harry couldn't help the light laughter that escaped.  "Didn't it just?"

-----

Three things:  First…thank you sooo much for all yoru feedback!  Fully very encouraging.

Second, I'm an idiot (well, we already knew that, but…eh)  I labelled the chapter incorrectly last update (I've fixed it though).  So, for those of you who read last chapter and it was labelled 21 instead of 20…it's the right chapter, but was labelled wrong.  SO…tis all good.  They're in the right order, I swear. 

Third…What You Did WILL be getting updated, but I don't know when.  I didn't realise that my last update was accidentally the last chapter I've got written, something I don't particularly like doing.  I'm in a slight rut with WYD at the moment, but it WILL be worked on.  I swear.  I've just been concentrating on this fic (I've only got three more chapters to write!  Hurrah!!  [This is the theory of course…]  It comes in at a total of forty chapters.  Very cool, eh?)

Toodles.

DKG.


	22. The Second Visit

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: THE SECOND VISIT

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat on two different beds in the boys dormitory watching Buffy pace the length of the room.  Hermione looked worried, Ron looked confused and Harry was just looking on with an amused grin.

"Buffy, would you stop?" Harry said, laughing slightly.

"I can't.  I'm nervous.  Why am I nervous?  I mean, I saw her a few weeks ago, what do I have to be nervous about?  She's Willow, she's my best friend.  She's seen Hogwarts before, so she's not gonna wig out on me or anything.  But I'm still nervous," Buffy rambled.

Harry couldn't take the pacing anymore.  He stood up and grabbed Buffy's wrists, bringing the witch to a standstill.  She looked up at him, almost as though she couldn't quite work out why he would have stopped her.  Before she could ask him what was wrong, his lips descended upon hers.  She felt the tension, nervousness and fear melt away as Harry's hand came to rest on the small of her back, and their lips and tongues danced an intricate dance.

They pulled away breathless and flushed.

"You're nervous about her meeting me, aren't you?" Harry asked.

Buffy opened her mouth to reply that he was being ridiculous, but with a moment of thought, she realised that Harry was right.  She _was_ nervous about it.  She nodded and buried her face in Harry's shoulder.

Harry chuckled and dropped a soft kiss on the top of Buffy's head, smoothing out his girlfriend's hair.

"We'll be fine.  She loves you Buffy," Harry assured her.  "And I promise I'll be on my best behaviour."

Buffy took a deep calming breath and nodded, pulling away from Harry.  She leant up to kiss him softly before stepping back completely.  

"I'll be back soon."

------------------------

Willow jumped slightly when she heard the loud crack that echoed through her living room.  When she turned, she grinned widely at the sight of her best friend.  Without a word, the two girls embraced tightly, both of them realising that their eyes had filled with tears just at the sight of each other.

After a long moment they pulled away, their hands still joined.

"You ready?" Buffy asked softly.

Willow shook her head, still grinning madly.  Buffy cocked her head to the side, wondering what had got her friend in such a state of joy.

"Will?"

"There's someone that I want you to say 'hi' to first," Willow said.

Buffy nodded slowly, still unsure what was going on.  She heard someone step into the room from behind her.  She turned and froze completely at the sight in front of her.  More tears sprang to her eyes and she felt her mind go completely blank except for the feeling of pure joy.

The newest occupant of the room took two steps towards Buffy, paused to drink in the sight of her, and then swept her into strong arms, lifting her slightly from the ground.  Buffy closed her eyes and let herself hug her other best friend back, feeling something akin to sheer and pure contentment race through her.

"Xand," she whispered, unable to believe that she was really seeing him.

Willow watched, tears running slowly down her face as she watched the reunion between her two best friends.  

Xander pulled back and let his eyes race over the form of his best friend.  She was exactly how he remembered her, petite but powerful, still beautiful and still able to make him think lusty-wrong-thoughts about her.  He grinned at her, unable to believe that Willow had found their missing friend in England of all places.

"I can't believe you're here," Buffy said quietly.

"Me neither Buff," he replied.  "God I missed you."

"I missed you too.  So much."

They hugged again, memories racing through their minds of the friendship that they'd shared, the good and the bad moments.  They drew apart and Willow came to join them.

"Isn't it great?" Willow asked, addressing Xander.

He gave the two girls his trademark goofy grin and nodded enthusiastically.

"I gotta say Buff, when I heard you were in England I was expecting you to be all British with the tweed and scones," Xander teased.

Buffy grinned and wiped away an errant tear.  "I really can't see me going for the mini-librarian look," she replied.  

"You've got a slight accent," Xander pointed out.

Buffy nodded, knowing that she did sound slightly different than she had back in Sunnydale.  Ron couldn't help but point out whenever Buffy swore in British rather than with her own American words.

"I'm still the most American person at my school," Buffy replied.

Xander grinned.

"You know, I always thought _I'd_ be the last to graduate," he teased.

Buffy grinned.  "Come on.  There's some people who want to meet you."

"No, they want to meet Willow," Xander replied, draping an arm over his redheaded best friend.  "I'm just the added bonus."

The two girls laughed and Willow felt as though her heart was about to burst with happiness.  She'd missed the casual banter between the three of them, and now that the original three were back in the same room, it was making her heart ache in all the best ways.

The three friends separated and Xander swung his hands in front of him, slightly nervous.  Willow had filled him in on Buffy's activities for the last year.  He'd been shocked to hear about what the small blonde girl had gone through, but he was definitely still proud to call Buffy his best friend.  She was his hero, regardless of whether she was the Slayer or not.  And finding out that she was a kick-ass witch hadn't hurt either.

"So, how does this work?" Xander asked.

Buffy grinned at him.  "Well, I'll take Will over first," Buffy explained.  "That way I'm not leaving _you_ with a bunch of strangers.  Plus I really want to stick around for your first reaction."

"You just don't want to leave him alone with Harry," Willow said with a cheeky grin.

Buffy nodded, conceding.  "That too."

Xander's face took on an expression of mock-hurt.  He couldn't hold it though and laughed.  "Hey, he's got a pulse, he's not two hundred and forty odd years older tan you.  He's doing okay so far in the 'Xander's check-list for potential boyfriends for Buffy and Willow' that I made."

Buffy laughed and Willow just shook her head.  The blonde girl took the redhead by the hand.  "You ready?"

Willow nodded.  Xander watched in awed fascination as the two girls completely disappeared from the living room of Willows apartment, leaving him by himself.

------------------------

The two girls apparated into the boys dormitory.  Predictably, Ron and Hermione were having a small spat over who-knows-what while Harry jus laughed and added his own two cents every so often.  When the two girls appeared, the conversation stopped and Harry stood up to meet his girlfriend and her best friend.

Harry smiled warmly at the petite redhead and held out his hand to her.

"Willow, it's wonderful to finally meet you," he said politely.

Willow was instantly charmed.  She could definitely see why Buffy had fallen in love with he tall dark-haired green-eyed boy.  He was charming and handsome, and most importantly, non-evil.

"Harry, right?  Buffy's told me so much about you," Willow said, shaking Harry's hand. 

"Likewise," Harry replied.  

Hermione stood up and surprised Willow by pulling her into a hug.  Willow was only too happy to reciprocate, and hugged her best friend's best friend back.  

Ron stood and walked over to the newcomer, holding his hand out.  "Hi Willow.  I'm Ron Weasley."

Willow grinned and shook his hand.  "I can see why Draco thought you and I were related."

Ron grinned and returned to his position at Hermione's side.  Buffy turned back to Harry and grinned happily.

"There's someone else I want you to meet," Buffy said.

Harry nodded, slightly confused.  Within the blink of an eye Buffy had disapparated once more.  Harry shot an inquisitive look at Willow who just smiled and shrugged enigmatically.

------------------------

"Ready?" Buffy asked Xander.

Xander wiped his sweaty palms on his pants and nodded.  Magic made him nervous, but he trusted Buffy, and he trusted Willow as well, and if they both said that this was safe, he wasn't about to break that trust.

"Don't worry," Buffy said calmly, winking slightly.  "It's completely safe, I swear."

Xander nodded and took Buffy's hand.  He closed his eyes and felt the world spin out of focus completely.  When it had stopped spinning he opened one eye to make sure he was still alive.  His second eye opened and both eyes went wide in surprise.

"Spadoinkle," he whispered quietly, taking in the large circular room, noticing the Quidditch posters lining the room that moved, as well as the floating candles that lit the room.  He turned and grinned when he saw Willow standing with three people.

Buffy took him by the hand and walked the short distance to where her friends were on the other of the room.

"Everyone, this is Xander Harris," Buffy said, grinning widely.  "Xander this is my boyfriend, Harry Potter, and my best friends Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley."

Xander shook each of their hands in turn before turning back to Harry.  The green-eyed wizard couldn't help but pull himself up to his full height, feeling slightly intimidated by the tall-young man that stood beside his girlfriend.  Xander was mentally sizing up Harry, and finally he grinned happily and nodded his approval.

Harry practically sighed with relief when he saw Xander relax.  Buffy let go of Xander's hand and took her place beside Harry.

"So…what's first on the agenda?" Xander asked.

"Well, Giles made me promise to get Willow to visit at least once today, so…if you're keen to go see him…" 

Xander's face lit up.  He'd almost forgotten about Giles in the excitement.  He nodded enthusiastically and Buffy couldn't help but smile at the familiar smile on Xander's face.  Willow took Xander by the hand and the group moved out of the boys dorms, walking slowly enough so that Xander could see the new and strange world that was Hogwarts.

They descended the large set of marble stairs that led to the Entrance Hall, Xander looking up towards the ceiling that couldn't be seen, it was so high up.  He watched in fascination as the stairs moved positions and students jumped over stairs that were apparently false steps.  He had nearly fallen through one had it not been for Buffy's warning about skipping the fifth stair from the bottom on a particular staircase.

Before they could wander into the Great Hall where Buffy was fairly certain Giles was, they were stopped by a small first year boy running wildly towards them, grabbing Buffy around the waist and hiding behind her, poking his head over her shoulder to glance in the direction he'd run like hell from.

"Dodge?  What's wrong?" Buffy asked, wondering what had Glenn Wood so panicked.

"Ol's threatening to tickle me in front of my friends," Dodge replied, completely out of breath.

Buffy just laughed, and couldn't help but break into giggles when Oliver dashed into the Entrance Hall, his hair wildly all over the place.  Oliver saw Dodge duck behind Buffy and walked calmly towards them, a grin on his face.

"Potter, Weasley, Granger," Oliver greeted the trio.  "Buffy…you wouldn't by any chance happen to know where my terror of a younger brother is, would you?"

"Haven't seen him," Buffy replied innocently.

Oliver just grinned.  "Really…cos I've got a chocolate frog with his name on it."

Dodge poked his head around Buffy once more and looked suspiciously at his brother.

"You're lying," Dodge accused.

Oliver turned his attention back to Buffy.  "You said you hadn't seen him."  
  


"He's behind me, how could I have seen him?" she replied.

Oliver laughed and reached into the pocket of his robes and brought out a small box that looked like the packaging of chocolate frogs.  

"A peace offering," Oliver said, handing the box to Dodge who took it gingerly.  

The young Gryffindor student shook it beside his ear and opened the box, surprised to actually see a chocolate frog inside.  It went to jump, but with his quick reflexes, he was able to catch it before it got away.

"Woah," Xander whispered, unsure of what to make of the peculiar moving chocolate sweet.

Oliver finally realised that he'd been horribly rude.

"Who're your friends?" he asked.

"Oh, these are my best friends from back home.  Willow Rosenburg and Xander Harris.  Guys, this is Oliver Wood.  He's…well, for lack of a better description, the Flying Instructor, Professor type person," Buffy said.

Willow's eyes went wide, taking in the handsome young man.  "You're a teacher?"

"Just filling in," Oliver replied.  

"Wait, wait…flying instructor?" Xander repeated, finally catching on to what Buffy had said.  "What, you're a pilot?"

"What's a pilot?" Oliver, Dodge and Ron asked simultaneously.

"Never mind," Xander muttered.

"He's filling in for Madame Hooch," Harry explained.  "Teaching the first years to fly on brooms."

Xander's eyes went wide.  It was like walking into a fairy tale world.

"You actually fly on brooms?" he asked incredulously.

The Hogwarts students (and teacher) nodded.  Oliver took in the wide-eyed expression on the teen who looked to be only a little younger than himself.

"Would you like to try flying?" Oliver offered.

Xander turned a startled expression to look at Buffy who was grinning widely.  She nodded encouragingly at him.  Xander turned to look back at Oliver.

"Hell yeah!  I'd love to."

------------------------

Buffy, Willow and Hermione watched from the pitch as the boys flew fifty feet above them, Harry and Oliver showing off as many flying tricks as they could.  Ron was trying less daring tricks, but still having the time of his life.  Xander was being slightly more cautious, but obviously loving being up in the air if his wide grin was any indication.

"Xander seems nice," Hermione commented.

Buffy and Willow nodded, still grinning at the boys antics.  "He is," Willow replied enthusiastically.

"One of the few rare gentlemen that are left in this world," Buffy added.

They slipped back into a comfortable silence, just watching contently.  They were slightly surprised when the four boys descended and dismounted from their brooms.

"Would you like a try?" Harry asked, looking at Willow.

Willow's eyes went wide, panicking slightly.  "Me?  In the air?  I couldn't.  I mean…I could, but…I mean…height, and…badness.  And what if I fell.  I couldn't…not alone."

Harry grinned and took Willow by the hand, positioning the broom beside her.

"I swear, you'll be safe," Harry assured Willow, winking at Buffy who was just grinning.  She was glad that Harry and Willow seemed to get along so well.  And she trusted Harry to make sure that Willow wouldn't fall from the broom.

"But, but…"

Willow let herself be placed onto the broom.  She gripped it tightly and Harry moved to sit behind her, placing one arm around her middle.  "Okay?" he asked.

Willow nodded, too frightened to really say anything more.

"We'll stop the second you want," he assured her.

She nodded once more, and Buffy watched in amusement as Harry made the broom ascend slightly, not going higher than ten feet.  Xander grinned happily at Buffy.

"That was awesome!" he gushed.

"So what are you doing back on the ground then?" Buffy asked.

Xander grinned, thankful for the silent permission Buffy had given him to take off once more.  Ron looked at Hermione and took her by the hand.  Hermione smiled and moved to sit in front of her boyfriend on the broom, leaving Buffy and Oliver alone on the ground.

"Your friends are nice," Oliver commented.

Buffy nodded happily.  "They are.  I haven't seen Xand since I left California.  It was definitely a nice surprise."

"So…how's things with you and Harry?" he asked casually.

"Good," Buffy replied, an even larger smile coming to her face.  "Things haven't been this good for me in years.  I don't think Harry's been this happy in a while either.  It's been amazing."

Oliver swallowed the feeling of disappointment and nodded with a false smile.

"That's good.  I'm glad," he replied, lying through his teeth.

"So…what about you Oliver Wood?" Buffy asked curiously.  "How's your life?" 

"It could be worse," he replied.  "Honestly, I never thought I'd miss Hogwarts so much.  But…being back here has been wonderful."

"It must be hard for your family…your girlfriend…without you there," Buffy commented.

"My non-existent girlfriend, you mean?" Oliver said.

Buffy looked at him, vaguely surprised.

"I'd have thought for sure that you'd have had a girlfriend or two.  I mean…not to sound all…well, slutty or whatever, but you're quite the hottie Oliver," she complimented him.

"Thank you," he replied softly.  

"I think most of the Seventh Year girls have got massive crushes on you," Buffy said with a grin.  She'd overheard the talk about the gorgeous flying instructor from some of the Seventh Year classes that she and Hermione attended during the week.  A lot of the talk had been about the mysterious young Irish teaching assistant.

"Well…I'm not interested in any of them," he said softly.

Buffy suddenly felt distinctly uncomfortable.  It was the feeling in her stomach that she'd had around Draco sometimes before they'd discovered that they were cousins.  It was the feeling that there was something between them that shouldn't have been there.  

Before anymore conversation could happen, Harry and Willow came back to the ground and Willow came off the broom shakily, but with a huge smile on her face.

"That was nifty!"

----

*grins* glad you're still liking this thing! ;)  Many thanks for your feedback!

Toodles.

DKG.


	23. The Match

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: THE MATCH

Three weeks later, the entire school was either sitting on standing in the stands of the Quidditch Pitch, cheering for their favourite teams.  Hermione stood with Fred and George Weasley on one side of her and Willow and Xander on the other side.  The four of them were visiting to watch Buffy and Ginny's first Quidditch match.  The Gryffindors were playing against Ravenclaw, and were confident that they would win with no real problems.

"Oh goddess!" Willow cried, seeing Buffy barely manage to dodge a flying Bludger that had been directed at her head.  Buffy had managed to flip her broom upside down to avoid it, before straightening herself back out.  She'd somehow managed to keep her grip on the Quaffle.

"She's good, eh?" Xander said enthusiastically.

Willow nodded, unable to tear her eyes away from her best friend as Buffy scored a goal.

"Another ten points for Gryffindor!" the new announcer, a Fifth-Year Hufflepuff, Rory Jenkins announced.  "Gryffindor lead sixty to twenty."

"What have I m-missed?" a new voice asked quietly from behind the Gryffindor group.

Willow turned, and green eyes met light blue.  The redheaded Wiccan found herself unable to turn away, though why she couldn't have said.   The shy blonde Hufflepuff girl, Tara Maclay hadn't been sure why she'd wanted to sit with the Gryffindors, but she'd felt drawn to sit with them.  With her eyes now locked with the redhead, she wondered if she had just found her answer.

Hermione turned to look at Tara. 

"We're winning by forty points," Hermione explained.  She saw Tara and Willow staring at each other and couldn't help but wonder what was going on.  She shrugged it off and moved over so that Tara could stand between her and Willow.

Tara moved forward shyly, her cheeks beginning to burn bright red as she stood beside Willow.  Willow swallowed nervously, unsure why she'd had such a strange reaction to the blonde girl beside her.

"I'm Willow," the redhead said, holding her hand out to Tara.

Tara looked at her and smiled softly.  "Tara Maclay.  Are you f-friends with B-Buffy?" 

Willow grinned and nodded.  "She's my best friend."

"You're from C-California then?" Tara asked, feeling her stomach clench uncomfortably. 

Willow nodded once more.  "I'm studying in England though," Willow informed the younger girl.  "At Oxford."

Tara's heart lifted slightly, though she still had no idea why she was having such a reaction to the beautiful redheaded girl.

A sudden burst of cheering caught the two girls attention, and they turned to look at the Quidditch Pitch.

"Gryffindor Chaser Summers scores again!  Gryffindor leading seventy to twenty!"

Tara turned back to Willow.  "O-Oxford…can I a-ask…how old are you?"

"I turned eighteen in February," Willow replied.  "How old are you?"

"I'll be seventeen next month."

"I thought I spotted one two many redheads over here," a new voice said.

Willow turned to see another familiar face, sporting a smirking smile.  Willow grinned as Draco stepped forward to say hello.  

"Hey Draco," Willow greeted.

"Willow," he replied.  He gave a half-smile to Tara.  "Maclay."

"Malfoy," she replied politely.  

Hermione turned to join the conversation, surprised to see Draco in the Gryffindor stand.  Then again, in the four weeks since Slytherin had exiled Draco, she should have known better than to assume that Draco wouldn't come and sit with the Gryffindors.  He'd been in the Common Room often enough, challenging Ron to game after game of chess, or else teasing Buffy and Harry mercilessly.  

"You've met Willow?" Hermione asked curiously.

Draco and Willow nodded.  "When Buffy and I first saw each other that day in London, Draco was there with her," Willow explained.

Another burst of cheering took their attention.  The Gryffindors all groaned when they realised that Ravenclaw had scored a goal.  "Gryffindor still in the lead seventy to thirty."

Draco moved slightly closer and noticed that Tara was fidgeting nervously.  He couldn't help himself.  He knew that if Buffy had been there, she'd have pre-empted any mean comment he was about to say, but Buffy was in the air and nowhere near enough to stop him.

"Why so nervous Maclay?" Draco asked, a smirk on his face.  "You afraid of me?"

Tara flushed bright red.  She didn't exactly hate Draco, and she wasn't afraid per say, but there was definitely an intimidation factor.

"I…I, n-n-no…"

Willow frowned slightly, realising that the taller blonde girl was as shy as Willow herself had been in high school until she'd found her inner strength and confidence.  The redhead brought her hand up to cuff Draco upside the head, mussing up his usually perfectly slicked back hair.

"You big meanie," she chastised.

Draco looked at Willow incredulously, completely bewildered.  He couldn't believe that someone had just done that to him.  He glared at her, but Willow had faced far scarier things than her best friend's cousin.  She just smiled sweetly and subtly took hold of Tara's hand and squeezed it gently, before drawing away.  If possible, Tara went even redder.

Draco shook his head in disbelief.  He looked between the two girls and recognised the look that Willow was giving him.  He wondered whether Willow had learnt it from Buffy or the other way around.  It was the same steely resolve that Buffy had had when she'd made him apologise to Hermione the first day of term the previous year.

"Sorry Maclay," Draco said, not wanting to cause too much of a scene, especially in the Gryffindor stands when everyone had been incredibly supportive of him over the last few weeks.  "I didn't mean anything by it."

He stuck his hand out as a sign of friendship.  Tara hesitated, but returned the handshake.

Draco moved to stand with the twins, knowing that he'd be able to tease and banter with them slightly easier than he'd be able to do with the three girls.  

"You okay?" Willow whispered to Tara, not wanting to draw attention from Hermione or Xander to the shy blonde girl.

Tara nodded softly.  "Thank you," she replied quietly.  "He uh…I know he doesn't m-mean anything by it, but…"

"I get it," Willow assured her.  "Trust me, I've had a few years experience building up a resilience to bullies."

Tara looked at her new friend, not believing her.  "Really?  But you're s-so confident."

"I haven't always been," Willow replied.  "Meeting Buffy, having her build up my confidence, that helped.  But mainly, I realised I was better than them because I didn't have to make other people feel bad to make myself feel better."

Tara smiled slightly, and nodded, taking in Willow's words.

"I uh…I have to admit, I've never really met a muggle who accepted m-magic so well," Tara said shyly.  Her mother had been a witch, but her father was completely muggle.  It had taken many hours of pleading for her mother to convince her father to allow her to come to Hogwarts, and even then her father was always voicing his disapproval to Tara learning magic.

"I'm actually Wiccan," Willow explained.  "So, yeah, I don't use a wand, but…I'm definitely into the magic scene."

"You study Wiccan?" Tara asked with interest.  "My m-mom she studied Wiccan.  She was t-teaching me about it."

"Was?" Willow asked, afraid of the answer.

Tara looked down for a few moments before glancing back up at Willow.  "She uh…she died.  When I was fourteen."

Willow reached out to touch Tara's hand.  "I'm sorry."

Tara nodded, accepting the genuine sympathy from the gentle redhead.  "I've been trying to teach myself a little bit," Tara confided.  "But…there are some spells that need a second."

Willow grinned.  "I've had the same problem.  None of my other friends are Wiccan.  Hey, maybe we could practise sometime."

Tara smiled widely and she nodded, her cheeks blushing bright red.  "I'd like that."

Willow retrieved a notebook from her pocket and scribbled down her address.  She handed it to Tara who took it gingerly.  "You should owl me sometime," Willow suggested.  "We could swap spells and stuff."

The crowd suddenly groaned in unison, and Tara and Willow turned their attention back to the game.  Ginny Weasley was clutching at her shoulder, obviously in pain as a Bludger sped away from her.  Buffy was flying frantically towards the injured Chaser, somehow aware that Ginny was hurt worse than it looked.

Draco, standing between two overly protective Weasley boys, was even paler than usual, his eyes locked on the small redheaded Chaser.  His throat was constricting painfully and he felt as though he could barely breathe.  He watched in horror and Ginny suddenly lurched forward and lost her grip on the broom.

"GINNY!"

The youngest Chaser fell from her broom, and Buffy quickly forced her broom into a dive, hoping that she had far more luck than she'd had the first time she'd tried this trick.  The crowd was silent as the watched one Chaser plummeting to the ground and another trying to catch her.

On the Firebolt, Buffy's heart was racing in pure panic.  She urged her broom on silently, praying to whatever Higher Powers that she would reach her friend before she fell to the ground.  She gained on Ginny and her hand shot out to grab Ginny's robes, trying desperately not to strangle the younger girl.  With barely a foot to spare, she pulled out of the dive, and jumped off the broom, cradling Ginny in her arms as several Professors ran across the Pitch to get to them.

Buffy gently tapped Ginny's face, trying to get her to awaken.  The girl's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at Buffy with confusion.

"How'd we get down here?" she asked, completely confused.

Buffy couldn't help but laugh slightly, thankful that her young friend was alright.

"You decided to try sky-diving without a parachute," Buffy explained.

"What's a parachute?" Ginny managed to get out, wincing in pain as she tried to shift her position.

"Stay still Gin," Buffy whispered.  "And I'll explain the parachute thing later."

"S'the game over?" Ginny asked.

Buffy looked up, surprised to see that the others were still playing.  She'd thought they'd have called for a time-out while two of their players were out of the game.  

"It's still going," Buffy said.

She cast a look over her shoulder thankful that the Professors had almost reached where she and Ginny lay.

Another burst of cheering broke out, and Buffy looked up to see what had happened.

"And Harry Potter catches the Snitch!  One hundred and fifty points to Gryffindor!"

"Games over," Buffy said quietly.  "Gryffs won."

Ginny nodded, and finally let herself pass out form the pain in her shoulder.  Buffy looked up as she saw McGonagall and Giles finally reach where she and Ginny where.  The others in the Gryffindor team had flown to meet them, and Buffy wasn't surprised to see Hermione, Fred and George racing towards them either.

The big surprise was Draco, who looked horribly panicked.

Giles knelt beside Ginny, carefully touching the girls shoulder to try and gauge the damage.

"Dislocated," he pronounced.  

McGonagall quickly conjured a stretcher beneath the injured Chaser and began floating it up towards the castle.  Buffy moved to stand beside her cousin, taking in his even paler than usual features.

"Drake?" she asked quietly.

He turned to look at her, a well of worry pooling in his eyes.  She reached out to touch his hand, surprised to find it shaking.

"Are you okay?"

Draco shook his head slightly.  He'd only ever been that panicked twice before in his life.  Once when he'd seen Buffy being pulled from the Quidditch stands and being flown off Hogwarts grounds only to disappear, and again when he'd seen Buffy get hit by Voldemort's Avada Kedavra curse.  

"She'll be okay Drake," Buffy assured him quietly.  "Madame Pomfrey can fix just about anything, remember?"

Draco nodded, still too shaky to even try speaking.  Buffy smiled softly at him and pulled on his hand to get them to start moving behind the crowd of people who were following McGonagall and the unconscious Ginny.

"I don't think Ron's going to be too happy when he finds out that the ex-Slytherin bad-boy's got a crush on the youngest Weasley," Buffy said quietly.

Draco came to a sudden halt and looked at Buffy with wide-eyes.

"What did you just say?"

Buffy grinned and laughed lightly.  "You like Ginny."

Draco went to emphatically deny the accusation, but his mouth just wouldn't form the words.  

"I…oh god," he whispered quietly.  That explained the panic at least, he thought.

She smiled at him and again tugged his hand.  "It's okay Drake.  She's a nice girl.  Just make sure you treat her right.  She's got six big brothers who would all volunteer to defend her honour if you even thought about hurting her."

"I've…I've never liked anyone like that before.  I mean…besides you.  Before we found out about the whole cousin thing…and…I think…I think I'm falling for her," Draco admitted.

"This isn't a bad thing," Buffy said reassuringly.  "Just…get to know her.  Ask her to go with you into Hogsmeade next weekend.  Show her the real Draco Malfoy, not the big bad Slytherin boy that you try to make yourself out to be."

Draco nodded, taking in Buffy's advice, committing it to memory.  He was distracted from his thoughts as Willow and Xander came racing across the Quidditch Pitch.

"That dive was incredible!" Xander gushed excitedly.

"Is Ginny okay?" Willow asked quickly.

"She'll be fine," Buffy replied.  "Madame Pomfrey can fix just about everything.  She'll probably just have a slight bruise from the Bludger, but apart from that, she'll be fine."

Buffy was suddenly lightly tackled from behind, strong arms picking her up around the waist and spinning her around.  She yelped slightly and spun in the arms as soon as she was put back on the ground.  She grinned when she saw Harry's smiling face looking down at her.

"You were incredible," he complimented her.

She smiled and placed a soft kiss to his lips.  "You too.  Sorry I missed your Snitch catching."

He shook off her apology.  "Not to worry.  You had far more important things to concentrate on."

Before Harry could kiss her, she was torn from his arms to be pulled into an incredibly tight bone-crushing hug from Ron.  All the panicked redheaded boy could manage to get out was soft whispers of "thank you, thank you, thank you".  She smiled and patted his back gently.

"Ron, she'll be fine," Buffy assured him.  "I swear it."

Ron pulled back and smiled thankfully at her.  He leant forward to kiss her cheek before taking off towards the mob surrounding his injured sister.  Buffy couldn't help but smile at the closeness of the Weasley family.  

"Well, that was abrupt," Harry commented dryly.

"He's just worried, Mr Insensitive," Buffy replied, hitting her boyfriend's shoulder lightly.  "What would you be like if that had have been me who fell?"

Harry scowled and pulled Buffy close to him, not even wanting to think about what his reaction would have been lie had it been Buffy who had taken the Bludger and fallen from fifty feet in the air.

"Good point," he conceded.

Buffy smiled and leant up to brush Harry's ear with her lips so she could whisper something quietly to him.

"Drake's got a crush on Ginny."

Harry's eyes widened in shock, and his gaze shot immediately to the worried Draco Malfoy who was talking to Willow, but still fidgeting quite badly with worry as he glanced towards the people walking up to the castle, Ginny in the centre of it all.

As Draco turned back to Willow, he caught sight of Harry's panicked gaze.  He rolled his eyes and sighed.  He should have known that his cousin wouldn't be able to keep anything a secret for very long.

"Summers, are you completely unable to keep anything from your beloved boyfriend?" Draco called out to her.

She grinned at him cheekily.  "Yup."

Draco sighed once more and shook his head in mock-disgust.  Before he could comment, a group of Slytherins caught up to them, and walked past, sneering and scowling at the group of Gryffindors and the ex-Slytherin student.

"Hey Summers, too bad it wasn't you that got splattered!" one of the girls yelled out.  She couldn't tell if it was Blaise or Millicent who's said it.

"You better watch yourself Summers.  You're perfect little life isn't going to be so perfect for much longer," another called out.

Buffy sighed and rolled her eyes.  She really hated the Slytherin students.  And of course it was too much to hope that if she ignored the Slytherins, they would get bored of taunting someone who didn't rise to the occasion and would then go away.  She sighed as she saw the Slytherins walk closer to where she and her friends stood.

Crabbe and Goyle came to stand directly in front of Buffy, leaving barely a foot between them.  Buffy swallowed, once more wishing that she still had her slaying abilities.  She'd have been able to push them away without a second thought, but with the strength of a regular girl, she felt intimidated.

Unconsciously she sized up her opponents, visually checking their stance and where their wands were.  Neither of the two large boys had drawn their wands but she could see them pooching their robes.

"Get away from me," she warned them, glaring at the two boys who had acted mainly as Draco's bodyguards over the last few years, until he and Buffy had become friends.

Draco and Harry flanked the blonde girl, with Willow and Xander hanging in the background, wondering why Buffy was being targeted by bullies.  It seemed so very unusual considering they were had seen Buffy stand up for both of them when she'd still been at Sunnydale High.

"What are you going to do about it Summers?" Goyle asked snidely.

Buffy just rolled her eyes and turned away from him.  There was no way she was going to give into her urge to hit the arrogant Slytherin boy.  

Goyle grabbed her arm and spun her back to face him, gripping her arm tightly.  Buffy looked at him, glaring at the taller boy.  Harry and Draco shifted forwards, but Buffy glanced at them subtly, silently imploring them to leave her to fight her own battles.  They didn't like it one bit, but stepped back slightly, keeping their eyes on Goyle, waiting for any sudden and threatening movements. 

"Get your hand off me." Her voice was quietly threatening, and Draco recognised the tone.  He'd heard it often enough from Buffy at the beginning of the previous year.

Goyle moved his hand from Buffy's arm and brought it up to touch her face.  She flinched away from him before he could touch her cheek.  He tried again, and Buffy pushed him away forcefully.  Goyle glared and quickly reached out to grab Buffy's arm once more, pulling her forcefully forward.  He bent closer to her to whisper in her ear.

"We're going to make your life hell Summers.  Revenge is always sweet."

He pulled back before Harry or Draco could step forward and hit him.  Goyle turned and began walking back up to the castle, leaving Buffy silently fuming.

"You okay?" Willow asked, stepping forward to touch Buffy's shoulder gently.

Buffy turned to face her best friend and nodded.  "I'll be fine."

"And we thought Harmony was bad," Xander commented, his eyes narrowed in the direction of the group of Slytherins who they could still hear laughing in the distance.

"I really hate them," Buffy commented.

"It'd be nice to see them get taken down a notch or two," Draco added.  "And as thick as they all may be, they're Slytherins, so we can expect whatever they have in store for us to be cunning and manipulative."

Buffy glanced at her cousin, the serious look in her eyes scaring Draco slightly.

"I say, bring it on.  We've faced far scarier things than the Slytherins and we came out on top.  There is no way I'm going to give in to a group of pretentious snobs trying to intimidate me."

-----

Sadly that's the last of Xander for this fic.  Willow will be back, honest.

Ooo, and someone just KILL ME!  I promised myself I wouldn't do it, but I just can't help myself.  At this point in time, I'm tentatively saying that there is gonna be a sequel to this fic.  Which will make the whole damn thing a Trilogy (sorry to be a big ole copykat Lisette, but…I couldn't pass it up.)  It's in the planning process, but will start being written as soon as I get these last three chapters out.  

Toodles.

DKG.


	24. The Plan

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: THE PLAN

They'd been researching for two weeks before they'd come up with the perfect plan.  It had taken three weeks after that to make the perfect instrument of revenge, and all they would need was two hours to completely ruin the life of Buffy Summers.  It was an added bonus to take down her friends as well, but their main target was the girl who had ruined their lives.  They waited until the day of Halloween to put their plan into motion, knowing it would be the perfect date to destroy the girl who they hated.

Blaise Zabini, Millicent Bulstrode, Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe were seated in the middle of the Slytherin Common Room, a brewing cauldron in the centre of their circle.  

"Got the hair?" Millicent asked.

Blaise nodded and reached into her robes, pulling out the single hair that she'd pulled from Buffy's head four weeks earlier during a DADA class.  She held it out for the group to see.

"Are we ready for this?" Blaise asked.

The other three nodded and Blaise grinned widely, carefully adding the single hair to the potion that bubbled and turned a light purple colour.  She looked up at Crabbe and Goyle.

"Your turn.  You know the plan?" she asked.

They both nodded and stood up, very nearly tripping over the cauldron.  They quickly scampered out of the Common Room, not wanting to face Blaise's anger at nearly ruining the potion.  The two boys ran to the library, stopping only once to ask directions.  They made their way to the corner that Blaise had directed them to, creeping as quietly as they could.

------------------------

Buffy waited until Hermione had completely left the library before jumping up to race towards the Restricted Section.  She password Madame Pince silently, using the stealth that Giles had taught her.  When she was beyond Pince's sight, she crept through the aisles of books until she found what she was looking for.  

All the books in the Restricted Section were chained to the shelves and required a key to unlock them.  Not even the "_Alohamora" _spell would work on the locks keeping the books to the shelves.  Buffy quickly took a pin from her hair and twisted one of the prongs to bend at a ninety degree angle.  She took the lock in her hand and carefully jimmied it open.  

After she'd found out about Giles' juvenile delinquent phase and his ability to pick locks, she'd harassed him until he'd taught her how to do it.  She'd persuaded him by a subtle form of blackmail.  

_//"C'mon Giles, what if I get kidnapped and I don't know how to unpick locks.  Then where will I be?"_

_"Locked in a room I daresay," he dead-panned. _

_She glared at him and turned it into a pout.  "Please Giles?"_

He sighed and finally nodded, stepping towards her and swiftly removing a bobby pin from her hair, causing her to yelp in pain and swat at his hands.  He smirked and gestured towards the door.//

The lock clicked open and the chain fell off, leaving Buffy with the book she'd been eyeing off for several days.  She quickly moved back to where she and Hermione had been seated.  She removed the dust jacket from one of the Transfigurations text books and placed it over the book she'd taken, not wanting Hermione to catch her with a book she wasn't supposed to be reading.  She flipped the book open to the page she'd read last and bookmarked it before standing and going to look for a book she actually needed to complete her assignment. 

------------------------

The two boys spotted Buffy between the stacks, perusing the bookshelf, searching for a book that had been helpful to her the other day, whilst trying to finish her essay.  She and Hermione had an assignment due for Seventh Year Transfigurations, and Hermione had stepped out of the library to go to the bathroom.  She heard the sounds of quiet footfalls, but paid no attention to it.  Students were always coming and going in the library area.

The two boys nudged each other and pointed to the oblivious Gryffindor girl.  Before Buffy even noticed either of them, Goyle grabbed Buffy's arm and spun her around as Crabbe pulled his fist back and quickly slugged Buffy across the face.  She turned with the force of the punch, feeling her head spin, and stars form behind her eyes.  Before she had a chance to steady herself, the same fist that had hit her came crashing to her face again.  It took barely two seconds for her to black out.  She hadn't even seen either of her attackers.

Crabbe turned to Goyle, a satisfied expression on his face.

"That was satisfying."

Goyle smirked and picked up Buffy's unconscious form, thankful that the library was fairly quiet.  Crabbe shrugged out of his cloak and draped it over Buffy, the two of them racing back to their Common Room, not stopping for anyone or anything.

Blaise looked up as the two boys came crashing through the entrance.  She smiled in satisfaction as Crabbe drew back the cloak.  "Put her up in your room," Blaise instructed.  "And for the love of god, make sure she's tied up tightly."

Crabbe and Goyle hurried to do as Blaise ordered.  The Slytherin girl turned back to Millicent and smiled evilly.  She knelt down to the cauldron, picked up a small goblet and filled it with the lilac coloured Polyjuice Potion.  She pulled off her Slytherin cloak and pulled on one with a Gryffindor crest, shuddering internally at the thought of wearing the red and gold colours of her most hated house.  She lifted it in a mock toast.

"Here's to making Buffy Summers life hell."

------------------------

Hermione looked up when she heard the soft footfalls of her friend.  She smiled as Buffy sat herself down beside her.

"Where'd you run off to?" she asked curiously.

Buffy shrugged and picked up one of the books she'd been looking through earlier.  "I was just getting a little claustrophobic I guess," she replied.  "Needed some air.  I ran and got my cloak as well…it's cold in here."

Hermione looked at her friend, her eyebrow raised in a question.  "Buffy, you spent nearly three months straight in here last year.  I'd have thought you'd be used to it by now.  And I have to admit to being surprised at the cloak.  I've never seen you wear it outside of class."

Again Buffy just shrugged.  Hermione shook her head, not really understanding her friend.  

Buffy looked down at her book, reading the title of the chapter.  "_Different forms of Animagi through the Ages_."  She peered across at Hermione's book, wondering why exactly that book was open when Hermione was studying advanced Transmogrification.  She flipped the book closed, surprised to see the dust-jacket cover telling her that the book was supposed to be about transmogrifying different objects into different creatures.  She subtly looked behind the dust-jacket.  "_Animagi and You._"  She shrugged and went back to randomly flipping through pages, but Hermione could tell that Buffy's heart wasn't in it.

"Are you alright?" Hermione asked.

Buffy looked up and frowned slightly.  "I think I'm just a little restless."

Hermione studied her friend closely.  There was something different about her, she knew that, but she couldn't pick what it was.  

"Did you want to go back to the Common Room?  Maybe spend some time with Harry and Ron?" Hermione asked.

The smile on Buffy's face was the only answer Hermione needed.  Closing their books and gathering their assignments up, they left the library quickly.  As they walked back towards the Gryffindor Tower, Hermione couldn't help but glance curiously at her friend every few seconds.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Hermione asked.  "You seem…different."

"I'm fine," she assured her.  "Just…needing some alone time with Harry."

Hermione smirked slightly.  "I'll bet.  Ron and I still have to check out that room of yours and Harry's."

Buffy just smiled and nodded, which was strange in itself.  Hermione usually couldn't get her friend to _stop_ talking, especially on the topic of Harry and their room.  She shrugged it off, thinking that maybe they had spent too long in the library working on their assignments.  They reached the Common Room, and Hermione didn't hesitate to utter the password, "_courage_".  The portrait door swung open, and the two girls entered the tower.  Buffy looked around, trying not to be obvious about her curiousity.

"I'm just going to get the boys.  I'll be back in a minute," Hermione said.

Buffy nodded absently and watched her leave.  She looked around the Common Room, a derisive smirk on her face.  Blaise couldn't believe the luck she was having so far.  She wondered just how easy it would be to destroy Buffy's life completely.  And Hermione Granger was making her plans even easier for her.

She wiped the smirk from her face as Harry, Ron and Hermione entered the Common Room.  Harry immediately walked towards her and kissed her deeply.  Blaise was slightly stunned by the force and passion behind it, but rallied quickly.  They pulled apart slightly breathless.

"How's the assignment going?  Hermione tells me that you were going stir-crazy in the library," Harry said with a grin.

"Well, too much time with the books is never a good thing," she replied easily.

Harry tilted his head to the side, regarding her curiously.  She looked back at him nervously.

"What?" 

He shook his head, thinking perhaps he was going crazy.  "Nothing.  It's just…you sound more and more British by the day."

The smile fell from her face and she felt a momentary burst of panic.  She forced herself to calm down, lest she give herself away too early in the game.

"Maybe you're just rubbing off on me," she commented.

He grinned at her mischievously.  "That sounds like a good idea lover."

Blaise very nearly choked on her surprise.  She hadn't thought that Buffy and Harry were sleeping together, but this made her plan even more delicious.

"Later Harry," she whispered, her tone sharp and final.  He looked at her questioningly, wondering what he'd done to offend her.  "It's gorgeous outside, and I'm feeling the need to be outdoors."

Harry nodded and looked to Ron and Hermione, who were lost in their own world that consisted only of each other. 

"We're going outside.  Are you two actually going to join us this time?" Harry asked.

Ron and Hermione flushed simultaneously, but nodded.  The foursome left the Common Room, and wandered down to the Entrance Hall.  Blaise smiled when she saw the group of Slytherin students milling around.  She sobered immediately, and Harry saw her stiffen.  He moved closer towards her and put an arm around her shoulders protectively.  She shrugged him off and moved away.

He looked at her, his expression showing how hurt he was by the move.

"Buffy?"

She stopped on the bottom stair of the marble staircase within the Entrance Hall and looked at him.

"Harry…I've been meaning to talk to you," she began, smiling on the inside, even as her outer expression showed her to be serious.

Harry felt his heart sink.  "Maybe we should talk about this in private," he said quietly.

She shook her head and smiled sadly.  "Maybe we just shouldn't talk about it at all."

Ron and Hermione looked at their two best friends in shock.  Both of them were completely dumbfounded.  Neither of them had heard of any problems occurring between the couple. In fact, the last they'd heard, Buffy and Harry had been the happiest they'd ever been.  

Harry tried to swallow the hurt he was feeling, not wanting to cry in front of his peers, or his friends.  

"Why?" he asked quietly.

She smirked at him and touched his shoulder.  "You're just not mature enough for me Harry."

His eyes narrowed immediately.

"There's someone else isn't there?"

"That's not the point," she replied.  

"Is it Oliver?" he demanded.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.  "It doesn't matter.  The point here, lover, is that you and I are over.  I'm sorry if that hurts you, but…that's just the way it has to be."

She flipped her hair over her shoulder casually and walked across the Entrance Hall, past the Slytherins who were all grinning madly ("courage" she whispered to Crabbe), and out the double doors, leading into the sunshine, leaving Harry, Ron and Hermione completely speechless.  

The Slytherin students who had been in earshot snickered as they watched Harry try and regain his composure.  Whispers, laughter and taunting began to swell within the hall, and all Harry could feel was an aching emptiness inside of him.  He looked helplessly at his two best friends.

"What just happened?"

------------------------

Blaise walked across the lawns of Hogwarts, heading towards the Quidditch Pitch.  She could see a lone figure flying fifty feet in the air, the platinum blonde hair recognisable even from the ground.  She smiled to herself and quickly pulled out the flask that was concealed within her borrowed Gryffindor robe.  She took another mouthful of the potion, knowing that her hour was nearly up.  She didn't want to change back into her true self before she had a chance to do even more damage to Buffy.  She pulled her wand out, and pointed it towards her – Buffy's- face, quickly casting a glamour charm to make it look as though she'd been crying.

She entered the Pitch and lifted a hand to shield her eyes as she looked up at the object of her affections.  She had to admit, she couldn't understand why Buffy would choose Harry over Draco.  It had never made any sense to her.  If she'd been in Buffy's position, she'd have chosen Draco every time.  And whilst Draco may have been on the outs with Slytherin, he was still the most gorgeous male that Blaise had ever laid her eyes on.

Draco spotted his cousin and quickly pushed his broom into a dive.  He pulled up close to Buffy and saw the tears running down her face.  He pulled her into a tight hug and stroked her hair gently.

"What happened?" he whispered.

She sniffled pathetically and held on tighter.  "It's so awful Draco," she replied quietly.  "Harry just broke up with me.  He…he thinks that…oh, it's awful."

Draco couldn't believe what he was hearing.  He hadn't thought that Harry was a complete idiot, and as much as he may still have disliked the Gryffindor boy, he knew that Harry loved Buffy with every inch of his being.  He was also slightly perplexed by Buffy calling him Draco.  She hadn't called him that since their truce in the library the previous year when they had bonded over her leather pants and their Transfiguration essays.

"Tell me, Buffy.  It's alright, I'm here for you," he whispered.

"He…he accused me of being in love with someone else," she replied.

He pulled back and looked into her tearful eyes.  He studied her carefully, wondering why her eyes looked so different than usual.  This wasn't the first time he'd seen her cry, but there was something else in her eyes that usually wasn't there.  There was a hardness that he hadn't seen.  Even after everything that Buffy had gone through, there was still a soft sort of innocence about her that endeared her to him.  Her eyes seemed to lack that certain spark now.

"Are you?" he asked gently.

She hesitated a moment, and looked away.  Blaise couldn't believe her good fortune.  This was going to be too easy.

"I am," she whispered.

Draco's eyes widened in surprise.  He hadn't been expecting that.  "Who?  Who are you in love with that would make you give up what you have with him?"

Blaise saw her opening and took it.  She leant forward and gently pressed her lips to his.  She was completely surprised when Draco pushed her away, not even hesitating for a millisecond.

"What?" she asked.  "What's wrong?"

"Buffy, I know you're upset, but…this, between us…you're my favourite person in the world, and you know I'd do anything for you, but…this is wrong," he explained gently.

He knew that being upset could often skew people's thoughts and judgement, so he couldn't yell at his cousin for being confused emotionally.  He just hoped that she would snap out of whatever daze she was in.  She seemed like almost a completely different person.

She looked at him through narrowed eyes and tried again, leaning forward, but again Draco pushed her away.

"I get that you're upset Buffy, I really do," he said gently, taking her by the shoulders and holding her at arms length.  "But…what the _hell_ is your problem?"

"I've finally come to my senses," she replied.

He looked at her long and hard, his eyes boring into hers.  He knew that there was something definitely wrong with his cousin.  There was no way, no matter how upset she was, that she would try to kiss him.  They were related, and he knew she thought of him as a brother.  She told him so in the letters they'd exchanged over the summer break.  He also knew that there was no way that Harry would have broken up with her because he'd believed her to be in love with him.  Something else was going on here, and Draco was not going to fall for it any longer.

"Buffy, do you know why we can't be together?" he asked.

Blaise rolled her eyes, wondering what had become of the Slytherin prince.  If a girl had thrown herself at him the year before, he'd have wasted no time in taking advantage of that.  Now, he was being the concerned and sensitive new age male.  She didn't like it one bit.

"Because of Harry," she replied.

Draco held onto her with a little more force.  His eyes narrowed and he glared at her.

"Who are you?" he demanded angrily.

Blaise froze, knowing that she'd been caught.  She was honestly surprised by Draco's reaction to her.  She had been so sure that Draco would have appreciated finally being able to be with the girl that it seemed he was in love with.

"Draco, you're hurting me," she whispered softly.

His grip tightened even further, and she whimpered in pain.

"What did you call me?" 

"Draco, please!"

"You're not Buffy!" he yelled angrily.  "I don't know who you are, or what you've done with my cousin, but you are _not_ her!"

Blaise's eyes widened in shock.  Cousins.  Buffy and Draco were cousins.  That explained the closeness.  It explained why Draco had rejected her.  It explained why he'd had no idea of why she'd accused him of being in love with the Gryffindor mudblood-lover.  It explained so much.  She couldn't believe she hadn't realised.

"Let go!" she cried.

"Tell me who you are!"

Blaise, beginning to fear that Draco could do some real damage to her (she'd never realised just how _short_ Buffy Summers was until she'd stared out of the blonde girls eyes) pulled out her wand.

"_Stupefy!_" 

Draco's grip fell and he was forced backwards, landing on his backside, and stilling.  She looked at his still form and aimed her wand at him again.

"_Impedimenta!  Stupefy!_"  She just hoped that using three sets of stunning spells would keep Draco out a little longer.

She shook off her fear and anger and quickly ran back up towards the castle, wanting to complete the last stage of her plan.  She ran off the Quidditch Pitch and practically barrelled into a tall figure, sending them both sprawling to the ground.

"Buffy," a soft Irish voice greeted her.  He helped her to stand up, and she looked up at him, surprised to see the kindness in his eyes.  She hadn't really paid to much attention to the new Flying Instructor.  He was gorgeous!

"Professor Wood."

He grinned at her and mock-glared.  "You've never called me _that_ before.  Careful Buffy, I might start thinking you actually respect me," he teased.

She couldn't help but smile, charmed by his boyish grin and his accent, not to mention his beautiful blue eyes that she could probably drown in.

"Are you alright?" he asked quietly, his mood immediately coming more sombre.  "I heard about what happened with you and Harry.  I had a hunch that you might have come down here.  I thought…well, maybe if you needed a friend…"

Blaise smiled a mock-sad smile and nodded, trying to look pathetic.  "Thank you Oliver.  That'd be really good."

He smiled and stepped forward awkwardly.  Blaise stepped forward and into his arms, hugging him and burying her face into his solid chest.  Had Oliver been able to see her face, he'd have been worried by the evil and manipulative grin that appeared on Buffy's face.

-----

Who loves evil Blaise?!  *grins* she's so much fun!  :)  

Hmmm…Lisette…can I maybe interest you in a triple update?  AWF, WYD and In The Beginning?  What else would it take to get you to start posting Equinox?  Name it and it's yours.  (Gee, I don't sound desperate or anything do I?)

Many thanks to everyone who has reviewed!  

DKG


	25. The Curse

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: THE CURSE

Blaise Zabini was having the time of her life.  She could feel Oliver Wood's eyes following her as they walked up towards the castle, and she could only wonder just what exactly was going on between the young Flying Instructor and Buffy Summers anyway.  It was obvious from the way that Oliver looked at her –looked at _Buffy_- that he had a serious crush on the girl.

They walked up the stone steps, towards the double oak doors that opened into the Entrance Hall, and Blaise came to an abrupt stop.  Oliver looked at her curiously.

"What's wrong?" 

"I…I don't think I want to go in just yet.  I mean…if you heard about what happened, and you weren't even there, then it must be all around Hogwarts by now," Blaise said, trying to sound upset by the notion, when really she was jumping for joy.  She was actually surprised by how fast the news had travelled.

Oliver nodded and gently took her by the hand, leading her back down the stairs.  They walked slightly off to the side, and Blaise sank down onto the grass, leaning against the castle wall.

"Will you be alright?" he asked gently.

She nodded and watched as he sat down beside her.

"I think so.  I just…I don't understand what happened between him and me.  Things were going so well, and then…well…he just wasn't mature enough for me I think," she said.

She watched Oliver carefully for his reaction, and was had to stop herself from smirking when she saw the hopeful expression on his face.

"Why can't he be more like you?" she asked quietly.  "You're so nice, and good-looking, and smart.  He just couldn't understand that I needed someone a little older."

She slowly reached her hand over to take Oliver's.  Oliver for his part could feel his heart racing wildly in his chest.  He'd liked Buffy Summers since the day he'd first met her, but hadn't acted on his want out of respect for Harry.  But, if Buffy had broken up with Harry, it left Oliver free to try and woo the blonde girl for himself.

Blaise could practically hear Oliver's inner monologue of hope.  She shifted closer to him and leant her head against his shoulder.  Several seconds later, she shifted closer and turned her head slightly so that her lips brushed against his.  

For Oliver, everything froze.  This was what he'd been wanting for the last several weeks.  Buffy in his arms.  Buffy kissing him.  It took all of his self-control to pull away from her.

"I'm sorry Buffy, but…I can't let this happen.  Not now.  Not when you've just broken up with Harry.  I'd be taking advantage of you, and…I won't do that to you," he said quietly.

Blaise just looked at him incredulously.  If she'd kissed any of the Slytherin boys after breaking up with someone, they'd be only too eager to get her into their beds, and try and comfort her in that way.  What was it with the Gryffindors that made the boys gentlemen who wouldn't even allow themselves to kiss (seemingly) distraught girls?

She stood quickly, not wanting to have to go through the humiliation of being rejected for the second time in an hour.  Oliver struggled to get to his face and caught Buffy's wrist before she could storm away.

"Wait, let me explain." 

She turned to look at him, anger in her eyes.  Oliver dropped her wrist, startled by how resentful Buffy looked.

"Sod off."  With that, Blaise turned and quickly walked up the stone stairs and into the Entrance Hall.   

Harry, Ron and Hermione were nowhere in sight, but the Slytherins were still milling about the area.  Several Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had joined the fun, the rumour about Buffy and Harry's break-up obviously having travelled through the entire castle.  The Entrance Hall went deathly silent as soon as Buffy walked inside.

Whispers then broke out amongst the different groups, the gossip mill spreading further as they took in the angry stride of the girl that most of the students still feared.  Ginny Weasley approached Buffy, glaring at the older girl.

"How could you do that to Harry?" she demanded.  "I thought you loved him!"

Blaise just shook her head condescendingly.  "You don't know the first thing about me, or about love, little girl.  So stay the hell out of my way."

Ginny glared at her friend.  She couldn't believe that the person in front of her was the same person who had saved her from certain death only the week before during the Quidditch Match.  With tears in her eyes at the sudden and horrible transformation of someone she considered one of her best friends, Ginny turned and began walking away.

As Blaise walked past the group of Slytherins, applause broke out.  She stopped and turned to glare at them, acting the part of Buffy Summers.  The three other houses all quietened down to listen to what they knew would be an interesting confrontation.  Ginny noticed the sudden silence and stopped halfway up the stairs, turning to watch what was going on.  It was at that moment that Professor McGonagall and Giles walked out of the Great Hall and into the Entrance Hall.  Blaise knew that their timing couldn't have been better.

"What are you clapping at?" she demanded of the Slytherins.

Crabbe, Goyle and Millicent Bulstrode all stepped forward.

"You've finally become just like your father," Crabbe replied cockily.

Blaises's –Buffy's- eyes narrowed and she reached for her wand, concealed within her cloak.  She pointed it at Crabbe.  Giles and McGonagall stepped forward, Giles worried about what Buffy would do to the boy if she was feeling too threatened.

"Take that back."

"What are you going to do about it Summers?" he taunted.  "Kill me?"

Blaise smirked.  As thick as the Slytherin boy was at most times, he could actually act.

"Not quite," she replied calmly.  "_Crucio!_"

Crabbe fell to his knees, screaming out, long and loud.  McGonagall ran to the fallen boys side, trying to calm his whimpers of pain as the spell passed.  Giles grabbed Buffy roughly by the wrist, causing Blaise to turn towards him.  Giles nearly recoiled at the coldness of her eyes.  He could only wonder what had happened to the girl that he had watched over for three years to cause such a change in her.  

"What the _hell_ do you think you're playing at?" he yelled angrily.

She smirked at him and yanked her wrist free.  "Who said anything about playing Professor?" 

She quickly ran up the stairs, the students who were milling about quickly splitting apart to stay as far away from the enraged girl as possible.  Ginny Weasley stared at her friend in shock and disgust.  Giles watched for a moment before gathering himself together.  He cast a glance at McGonagall and Crabbe, who was shaking slightly.  

"Get him to Madame Pomfrey," Giles said, his voice wavering.  "Make sure he's alright."

McGonagall nodded, still too dumbstruck by the idea of a student using the Cruciatus curse on another student.  It had never happened within Hogwarts before.  Not even when Voldemort's reign was at its peak.  She couldn't believe that the same girl who had ended the reign of terror now looked to be beginning one of her own.

Giles pulled his wand out, and began walking up the stairs.

"Rupert, watch your back," McGonagall called after him.  He turned to look down at where she knelt beside the Slytherin boy.  "I know how much you care for her, but…"

Giles just nodded, trying to mentally prepare himself for what needed to be done.  He could feel his heart racing as he continued up the stairs.  He moved towards the Gryffindor Tower and went through the portrait.  The password of 'courage' seemed strangely appropriate for his given situation.

Inside the Common Room, several students milled about.

"Did anyone see Buffy Summers come through here?" he asked the group in general.

They all nodded, most of them with wide and fearful eyes.

"Did she hurt anyone?" Giles asked worriedly.  

Giles recognised the First Year boy who stepped forward.  "She swore at us a lot," Glenn explained.  "But…other than that, we're alright."

Giles nodded, thankful for small reprieves.  

"Has anyone seen Harry Potter or Hermione Granger?" Giles asked.

"They're in the Sixth Year boys dorms," Glenn replied.

Giles took a deep breath, wondering which room to try first.  On one hand, he knew that when his young charge couldn't handle the stress of a situation, she was likely to run from it.  That meant that there was a chance she was in her own dorm packing her bags to leave Hogwarts for good.  On the other hand, he also knew that when Buffy was at her most vulnerable, she tended to try and seek comfort in the people that she loved.  That would be with Harry, Ron and Hermione.  He walked up the stairs and to the left towards the boys room.

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat on Harry's bed, the three of them huddled close.  Ron had his arm draped across Hermione's waist while Hermione held Harry's hand to try and support him.  Harry's eyes were red-rimmed from crying, and the trio looked up in confusion when they noticed Giles enter the room.

"Uh…sorry to intrude, but…has Buffy been in here?" Giles asked.  

Ron scoffed and Hermione glared at him sharply.  He just shrugged unrepentantly.

"We haven't seen her Professor," Hermione replied.  "Not since that scene down in the Entrance Hall."

"You were there?  I didn't notice you.  How did you get up here before I did?" he asked.

The trio looked at him curiously.  "It's been nearly an hour sir," Ron replied.

"An hour…then…you're not talking about what just happened?  Not five minutes ago down in the Entrance Hall?" Giles asked.

The trio shook their heads.

"What else happened?" Hermione asked, her curiousity getting the better of her.

Giles' eyes narrowed at the memory.  He turned and closed the door behind him, not wanting all of Gryffindor to hear their conversation.

"She used the Cruciatus Curse on Vincent Crabbe," he explained, realising there was no point in trying to keep it from them when half of the school had witnessed the event.  No doubt it was all over Hogwarts by now.  

Hermione gasped, Ron's jaw dropped and Harry's heart sank even lower into his stomach.

"I don't understand," Harry whispered.  "What on earth is going on with her?  I know that she hates Crabbe, but…to do _that_ to him?  That's…that's just…"

"Incredibly unlike her," Giles finished. 

Harry, Ron and Hermione nodded their agreement.

"Perhaps the stress was getting to her," Hermione put forward.  "Maybe she just got sick of everyone being against her."

"But not everyone _is_ against her," Giles replied.  "I spoke to her yesterday, and…she seemed to very much be looking forward to spending the weekend with the three of you."

"Maybe it's that time of the month," Ron suggested, only to be promptly hit by Hermione.

"But it's not," Harry replied absently.  

Ron, Hermione and Giles all turned to stare at him incredulously, and the black-haired wizard turned an interesting shade of red.

"Well…as much as I don't think I wanted to know that about Buffy…it does eliminate that option," Ron said, shaking his head in disbelief.  

"What else happened down in the Hall that I should know about?" Giles asked, remembering their words of a scene an hour earlier.

Harry flinched and Hermione rubbed his shoulder soothingly.  Ron looked to the Professor, anger in his eyes.

"She broke up with Harry.  In front of half of the Slytherins.  That's…it's just so unlike her," Ron said.  

"She was acting strangely in the library earlier too," Hermione added.  

"Hey, maybe she's possessed," Ron suggested, his love of drama flaring up inside of him.  It had been too long since there had been a good scandal at Hogwarts.  Not since it had been discovered that Buffy was Voldemort's daughter.  

Harry and Hermione just glared at their friend, but Giles' look turned thoughtful.  After living in Sunnydale for two years, the thought of someone being possessed wasn't outside the realm of possibility.  He'd seen first hand the effects of possession, when Xander had been possessed by a hyena spirit.  What he couldn't work out though was what could have broken through the Hogwarts barriers in order to possess Buffy.

"It is possible," Giles mused.

Harry and Hermione turned to look at the Professor, and Ron puffed out his chest in an unconscious imitation of Percy.  

"See?  I'm not an idiot," Ron proclaimed proudly.

Hermione rolled her eyes.  "Yes, yes, you're a genius.  But…what could have done it.  Something magical perhaps?  Maybe someone cast a spell on her."

"Buffy has proven herself to be incredibly gifted in duelling, so I doubt that anyone could have magically affected her," Giles replied.  "I'd suggest something demonic perhaps, but the Hogwarts barriers are terribly effective against demons.  Except for vampires of course, but no vampire could have done anything like this."

Harry couldn't help but get his hopes up that something had indeed made his girlfriend do what she'd done earlier that day.  He hadn't been able to understand why she would have broken up with him in the first place, let alone in public.  Not to mention, using the Cruciastus Curse on Crabbe.  He knew from experience how tough Crabbe and Goyle were.  He'd been in Goyle's skin in second year, and even then he could feel how strong they were.  Crabbe would have been able to survive the curse, but it was still a painful spell to endure. 

Harry's mind suddenly clicked onto another possibility.  Remembering how he'd felt wearing another person's skin had given him an idea.

"What if it was magic?" Harry asked.  "But what if the spell wasn't cast on Buffy?"

Hermione, Ron and Giles looked at him blankly.  Within seconds both Hermione and Giles had caught on.

"What d'you mean?" Ron asked.

"Polyjuice potion," Hermione replied.  "Someone pretending to be Buffy."

The door burst open, startling the four of them.  Draco Malfoy stumbled into the room, panting heavily.

"There's something _seriously_ wrong with Buffy!" 

They looked at him and nodded calmly.  Draco regarded the four of them, wondering why they weren't more worked up over it.  He deflated somewhat when he realised why that was.

"But you already knew that," he added.

Harry, Ron and Hermione nodded.  

"What did she do that was out of the ordinary?" Giles asked.

Draco's nose wrinkled in remembrance of Buffy's strange behaviour.

"She kissed me." 

"WHAT?!" 

"Calm down Potter," Draco said, rolling his eyes and taking a seat on Ron's free bed.  "I'm pretty sure she's under a spell or something."

"We were just suggesting Polyjuice Potion," Hermione explained.

Draco looked thoughtful for a moment before nodding.  "That does make sense.  Whoever it was had no idea that Buffy and I are cousins.  She was going on about how Potter wasn't mature enough for her, things like that.  She said she broke up with you."

Harry nodded, feeling less saddened by the break-up by the minute.  "In front of half the school."

"So…who do we think it was?" Draco asked.

The room fell into silence as the five of them searched through their memories for enemies of Buffy.  Unfortunately, half of Slytherin, as well as the majority of the wizarding world seemed to be against the blonde girl.

Hermione was struck by a sudden and terrifying thought.

"Uh…not to spoil the brainstorming session or anything, but…if there's someone roaming around looking exactly like Buffy…well…where's _our_ Buffy?"

-----

*insert dramatic music here* Dun-nun-nun-nah.  Uh oh.  This does not look good for our heroine.

Oh, and Lisette…next week?!  *scoffs* pah.  I sooo don't think so.  

Many many many thanks for all your feedback and emails!  You guys all fully awesome!!  Oh, and for those of you who don't wander into the general Buffy fic section, check out my latest fic 'Moving On'.  It's a Buffy and Faith fic set between the eps Dirty Girls and Chosen.  

Toodles.

DKG.


	26. The Consequences

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: THE CONSEQUENCES

Professor McGonagall raced down the hallway with Dumbledore at her side.  When Giles had gone up the stairs, she'd turned to Goyle and succinctly told him to take care of his friend while she fetched the Headmaster.  Now, as they approached the Gryffindor Common Room, she could feel her heart racing with adrenaline and fear.  Dumbledore looked as serious as McGonagall had ever seen him.

"I don't understand Headmaster," McGonagall admitted.  "I don't understand what could have provoked her to use such a curse on another student."

Dumbledore didn't answer.  Instead, he murmured the Gryffindor password and stepped through the portrait hole, heading into a Common Room he hadn't seen in years.  The Gryffindor students looked up in fear as the Headmaster and their House Mistress walked determinedly through the room and towards the stairs.  

"Do you think she'll be expelled?" one of the students whispered quietly, taking in the stern faces of Dumbledore and McGonagall.

"I bet she'll get sent to Azkaban," was the reply.

McGonagall's eyebrows furrowed in consternation.  She'd never thought about that particular consequence.  Blocking out the sounds around her, she followed Dumbledore up the stairs.  

There were more students in the corridor, gathered in hushed groups.  The door to the Sixth Years girl's room was closed, and the students were avidly avoiding standing too close to it.  

Dumbledore approached the door, took a deep breath, and entered the room.

The sight that greeted the Headmaster was not at all what he'd been expecting.  He'd suspected that he would see Buffy Summers with her wand aimed at the door to hex any people coming into the room.  He'd truly thought that perhaps he'd find her packing her bags in an attempt to leave Hogwarts.  

So, when he found her lying on the bed, sleeping peacefully, he was surprised to say the least.

It seemed as though McGonagall had had similar expectations if her shocked gasp was anything to go by.  

"Is she…sleeping?" the Transfigurations Professor asked quietly.

"It seems that way," Dumbledore replied.  

The two Professors stared at the sleeping girl in shock for a moment longer before Dumbledore stepped forward.  He went to touch her shoulder, then thought better of it.  He reached into his robes and withdrew his wand, pointing it towards her.

"_Enervate_."

Buffy's eyes fluttered open.  When she could finally focus, she spotted Dumbledore and McGonagall hovering several feet away from her bed.  She sat up and wiped the sleep from her eyes, wincing a little as she touched the bruise that was forming on her face.  She stared at them in confusion, not only wondering why they were in her room, but how she'd managed to wake up in her room when the last thing she remembered was being in the library with Hermione.

"What's going on?"

Again, this wasn't a question that Dumbledore had been expecting.  He had thought that her reaction would have been one of panic and fear at having to face the consequences of her actions, but the confusion evident on her face and in her voice was nothing like he'd expected.

"Miss Summers, would you be so kind as to follow me to my office?" Dumbledore asked.

Buffy's eyes scrunched in confusion, but she wasn't about to refuse him.  She nodded and slipped off the bed, pulling on a pair of boots and shrugging into her trademark leather coat.  She went to follow when Professor McGonagall spoke up.

"Don't you want your cloak?" she asked.

Buffy just shook her head.  "I kinda try to avoid wearing that thing outside of class," Buffy admitted.  "It's a little too billowing-cloak queen-of-pain for my liking."

McGonagall nodded, shaking her head in confusion.  She'd been certain that Buffy had been wearing her cloak when she performed the Cruciatus Curse on Crabbe.  She shrugged and allowed Buffy to leave before her, trailing behind the student and the Headmaster.  They headed down the stairs, and into the Common Room.

Over the last few weeks, most of the younger years had mostly become accustomed to Buffy.  Ever since she had befriended Glenn Wood, the First Years had considered her as an ally instead of as the enemy that so many had assumed her to be.  So, when she walked into the Common Room and was greeted with hushed and fear-filled silence, she was more than a little concerned about what the two Professors that she was walking between were about to say to her.

She tried catching Glenn's eyes, but as soon as she glanced at him, he glared at her and turned away.  She couldn't help but be hurt by the gesture.

The ten-minute walk to the Headmaster's office was the longest ten minutes of Buffy's life.  She was searching through her memories, trying to remember what she'd done to make Dumbledore and McGonagall escort her to the Headmaster's office.

When they entered the office, Buffy was even further surprised to see Professor Snape, scowling as always, already seated in front of Dumbledore's

Desk.

"Severus," Dumbledore greeted.

Snape stood up and glared down at Buffy, who felt incredibly threatened by the man who towered above her.

"I seriously hope you are going to expel her for this…this…insane act of…evil," Snape said.

Buffy's eyes widened, and she turned to look at Dumbledore and McGonagall, hoping that they would be able to explain what was going on.  The look in McGonagall's eyes told her that she would be getting no sympathy from her.  

"What exactly am I meant to have done, Professors?" Buffy asked, a feeling of absolute panic rising within her.  

"You attacked one of my students!" Snape practically roared.

Buffy turned back to face her least favourite Professor.  Seeing him angry was nothing new, but he looked about ready to kill her.

"Headmaster, if you don't see to it that this girl is expelled, I'll personally see to it that she gets thrown into Azkaban," Snape continued.

"Okay, just wait for five seconds…what the hell is going on here?" Buffy asked, not particularly caring that she'd just basically sworn at the three most powerful teachers at Hogwarts.  

"Don't play the innocent with me, girl," Snape yelled.  "There are over a hundred students who witnessed what you did to Vincent Crabbe."

"Crabbe?"  Buffy repeated.  Her confusion was beginning to overwhelm her.  She didn't know what the Professors were talking about and she definitely had no idea what had happened to her to make her wake up in her own room rather being in the library studying.

"Miss Summers, perhaps you should sit down," Dumbledore said quietly.

Buffy nodded, thankful for his suggestion.  She could tell that whatever Snape was on about was going to be bad.  She didn't want to be caught standing up in case her legs decided they didn't wish to work any longer.

"Professor Snape, if you would be so kind as to locate Professor Giles," Dumbledore continued.

"But…Professor, she…"

"I know Severus.  And I will handle it," Dumbledore assured him.  "Now, if you would go and find Professor Giles.  No doubt he'll be looking for his young ward.  Perhaps you should try the Gryffindor Tower."

Snape hesitated a moment longer.  He glared at Buffy, but knew that Dumbledore wouldn't let him stay.  As he left the room, he could still be heard muttering beneath his breath as he descended the spiralling staircase.

Buffy looked to Dumbledore who took a seat behind his desk.  Professor McGonagall stood slightly behind Buffy, her hand firmly attached to her wand in case Buffy made any sudden moves.

"Can someone tell me what's going on here, please?" Buffy asked.

Dumbledore brought his hands to rest beneath his chin, slightly stroking the top portion of his beard.

"Miss Summers, do you know why you're in here?" he questioned.

"Uh…no.  That's kind of why I asked," she replied.

He nodded calmly.  "Do you realise that not even thirty minutes ago, a hundred students watched as you used the Cruciatus Curse on Vincent Crabbe down in the Entrance Hall?"

Buffy paled instantly.  She fel her heart drop, and her pulse rise.  What was it that made you feel guilt when accused of something even when you were completely innocent?

"The Cruciatus Curse," Buffy repeated quietly.

Dumbledore nodded.  "Indeed.  He is currently in the hospital wing with Madame Pomfrey being treated."

"Okay…that is…that's not possible.  The last thing I remember before I saw the both of you in my room was being in the library with Hermione," Buffy explained hurriedly.  She looked imploringly to Professor McGonagall.  "We were doing that essay for your Seventh Year class.  Hermione went to go to the bathroom, and I got up to get another book.  Someone grabbed me, and…"

She touched her cheek, the sore area a painful reminder of what had happened.

"Someone hit me.  I blacked out on the second punch.  I didn't even see who it was," Buffy explained.

"Hmmm…do you recall the argument you had with Mr Potter?" Dumbledore asked, having heard the rumour of Buffy and Harry's break-up.  He'd been as stunned as everyone else, particularly when he knew for a fact that they'd used the Room of Requirement at least twice in the past week.

"Argument?  About what?  The only thing that Harry and I have ever fought about was-" she stopped abruptly and flushed bright red.

"Was what Miss Summers?" McGonagall pushed.

Buffy cleared her throat uncomfortably.  "He uh…forgot to put his tie on the door.  But that was weeks ago.  And even then we only fought about it for like two minutes!"

"You don't recall…ending your relationship with him then?" Dumbledore asked.

Buffy's eyes widened in shock.  She shook her head, trying to emphasise her point.

"God no.  Why the hell would I want to end things with Harry?  I've never been this happy before in my life," she stressed.

Things were rapidly spiralling out of her control, and that was something that Buffy always hated.  She couldn't believe what Dumbledore was saying.  Not only was she being accused of using an Unforgivable on someone, but she'd apparently broken up with Harry.  She didn't know which was worse.

"Miss Summers, twenty or so people witnessed your very loud, and very public break-up with Mr Potter nearly two hours ago," Dumbledore explained.  

"That's not possible," Buffy whispered quietly.  

"With magic, anything is possible," McGonagall replied.  "But as to whether or not you are telling us the truth, only time will tell.  And as Professor Snape already pointed out, this offence may well land you in Azkaban Prison."

-----

Uh oh…this does not look good for our heroine.  *grins*

Oh, btw, go check out the Gramarye's fic 'The Summer of our Discontent'.  It's fricken awesome!  ;)  

Many many thanks for all your feedback and your reviews!  

DKG.


	27. The Rescue

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: THE RESCUE

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Draco and Giles were racing towards the Headmaster's office.  After they had checked the girls dormitory for any sign of their blonde friend, and found none, they were fairly certain that the only real option they had was to speak to Professor Dumbledore about their suspicions.  When they'd exited the boys dorms, they'd been greeted with the sight of most of the Gryffindor students milling around the Common Room, trading stories about the 'truth' of what Buffy Summers had done to Vincent Crabbe.

Giles and the four students following him were horrified to realise that Buffy had been escorted to the Headmaster's office.  They couldn't help but wonder if this was the true Buffy or the one who they assumed was masquerading around wearing Buffy's face.  They couldn't work out whom it could have been, or what they'd hoped to gain from doing it.

Draco had his suspicions about some of the Slytherin students.  The problem was that so many of then truly hated Buffy Summers, so it could have been any number of them.

The group came to a halting stop outside of Dumbledore's office.  "Cockroach Cluster," Giles said, and the group watched as the stone statue began spiralling to create a set of stairs up to Dumbledore's office.

"I will never understand Professor Dumbledore's fascination with sweets," Draco muttered quietly.

Surprisingly it was Ron that murmured his agreement with the Slytherin boy.  

They raced up the stairs and burst into Dumbledore's office.  They all stopped short when they saw a very pale Buffy, her hands shaking terribly, seated in front of Dumbledore, with McGonagall hovering nervously behind her.

"Giles," Buffy whispered quietly.

The group regarded her warily. They couldn't help but all get their hopes up that everything that had occurred in the past two hours had been no more than a cruel joke pulled by one of the Slytherins.  Harry especially couldn't help but feel his hopes lift as he stared at his girlfriend.

Giles looked closely at Buffy, and was startled by the huge difference that he could see between the girl who sat before him now and the one who had yelled at him only half an hour earlier.  Before, her eyes had been cold and incredibly harsh.  Now, he could actually recognise the girl he thought of as a daughter.  Even beneath the fear and confusion, he could see the spark that made her Buffy.  He could see the warmth and love she had for the group that stood in front of her, regardless of the emotional turmoil she was going through on the inside.  He knew without a doubt that whoever it had been earlier to wear Buffy's face, it had not been Buffy.  The girl in front of him was definitely the one he'd watched mature from the frivolous sixteen-(fourteen)-year-old girl, into the matured seventeen-year-old in front of him.

"Rupert," Dumbledore greeted the man.  "Misters Potter, Malfoy, Weasley and Miss Granger.  I can only assume that you are here to speak to Miss Summers."

The four students nodded fervently.  Giles was the only one to speak.

"Professor Dumbledore, we believe there's been an incredibly large misunderstanding," Giles explained.

Dumbledore leant forward a little more in his chair, his hands still proper beneath his chin.  "Oh?  What would that be?"

"The girl that we watched perform the Cruciatus Curse on Vincent Crabbe was not actually Buffy Summers," Giles replied.

Neither Dumbledore nor McGonagall had been expecting that explanation at all.  

"Rupert…" McGonagall trailed off, not entirely certain what to tell the younger man.  She knew how fond he was of Buffy, so she could understand that he would wish to defend the girl.

"Whoever that was, it wasn't Buffy!" Draco added.

Dumbledore stared calmly at the group.

"Perhaps you could enlighten us further," the Headmaster said.

All at once, the four students began speaking, their voices overlapping.  All that could be heard was something that sounded slightly like: "…wasn't Buffy…" "…couldn't have been…" "…never kiss Malfoy…" "…didn't know Seventh Year work…" "…forgot about her and Harry's room…" 

"Everybody stop!" Dumbledore yelled.

The four teens immediately stopped and fell into a sheepish silence.  If the situation hadn't been so dire, Buffy was fairly certain she'd have started giggling at the expressions on her friends faces.

"Miss Granger, if you would begin please," Dumbledore said.

Hermione flushed slightly, embarrassed to have everyone suddenly turn their attention to her.

"Well…I suppose it began in the library.  When I returned from the bathroom, Buffy was…well…rather strange.  Restless and fidgety.  I couldn't take it after a few minutes, so I suggested we go back and visit with Harry and Ron.  She seemed to like that idea.  On the way back, she was really quiet.  And when I spoke about the room that she and Harry found-"

"The Room of Requirement," Harry and Buffy said simultaneously.  The couple exchanged glances, and couldn't help but smile at the familiarity of speaking in unison with each other.  Harry grinned widely as he took in Buffy's half-smile.  It felt as though he hadn't seen her smile at him like that in days.

"Yes, that one," Hermione continued.  "Buffy…or whoever it was I was speaking to, she didn't start gushing like Buffy usually does."

"And when you got back to the Common Room, she looked really surprised when Harry kissed her," Ron added.  

Harry tilted his head thoughtfully.  Now that he thought about it, he should have seen the signs earlier.  There had been a look in Bufy's eyes that he'd noticed but chosen to ignore, thinking it hadn't been too serious.  Now, he was seriously regretting his actions.  

"And then what happened?" Dumbledore asked.

"Well, Buffy suggested that we should go outside," Ron continued, taking over for his girlfriend.  "So, we left.  And then when we got downstairs…half of Slytherin was down there.  And then Buffy…or…whoever it was…she…" 

"Broke up with me," Harry finished for his best friend.  His voice was flat, and he was trying to keep the hurt from showing.  But he could still feel how painful it had been when he realised exactly what Buffy was doing.  It had been the worst feeling in the world, as though his entire universe had just crashed down on him.  He hated feeling that way.

Buffy felt tears come to her eyes as she took in the pained expression on Harry's face.  She was tempted to stand up and go and comfort him, but she was fairly certain that she would be stopped.  She tried to catch his eye, but for some reason he wouldn't look her way.

"After that, she walked outside," Hermione said.  "Ron, Harry and I went back up to the Common Room, so we don't actually know what happened after that."

Draco stepped forward.  "I think this is my bit of the story then," he said.  "I was down on the Quidditch Pitch, practicing some new moves, and I saw Buffy down on the ground.  I was a little surprised that these three weren't with her, but…I let it go.  We started talking, and she told me about breaking up with Harry because she was in love with someone else.  And then…well…she…"

"Kissed him," Ron said, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

Draco glared at the redhead, but turned his attention back to Dumbledore.  "She kissed me.  I pushed her away, and she tried to do it again.  So…whoever it was, it wasn't Buffy.  No matter how upset she was, there is no way that Buffy Summers would _ever_ try to kiss me."

Buffy was slightly shocked at the story she was hearing.  It was strange being spoken about by her friends when she had absolutely no memory of the things that they were speaking of.  It was also slightly disconcerting to hear that whoever it was that had worn her face had tried to ruin her life in the most effective of ways.

"I challenged her about it, and the next thing I knew, she had her wand out, and she stunned me," Draco continued.  "The next thing I knew, I was waking up, flat on my back, probably about half an hour later.  I ran up to the castle, and to the Gryffindor Tower.  That was when Professor Giles and the others told me that they thought someone had been using Polyjuice Potion." 

The room fell silent, and Buffy couldn't help but fidget with her hands nervously.  Ever since she'd heard the word Azkaban, she'd been terrified out of her wits.  She'd heard the stories about Dementors making you relive your worst memories, and that was something she definitely did not want to do.  Not to mention the fact that the majority of people in Azkaban would have been only too happy to kill her.

The door burst open once again, and the group turned in surprise, wondering who would have just barged in like that.  The five students held back groans when they recognised the greasy aired Potions Professor enter the room scowling for all her was worth.

"Headmaster, he wasn't there," Snape said, not even taking in the extra people in the room.  As he entered even further, he finally noticed, and his scowl deepened.  "Perhaps because he is already here…"

"Professor Snape was just sent out looking for you Professor Giles," McGonagall explained.

Giles was not entirely happy with Professor Snape being in the room. He'd seen and heard of how badly Snape treated the students, especially Buffy, Harry and their friends.  He couldn't understand why Snape would be so antagonistic towards them, but Giles knew there was very little he could do about it.

"I took the initiative to pass through the dungeons and pick up a vial of Veritaserum," Snape said, presenting the glass jar to Dumbledore.  "I thought it perhaps the quickest and easiest way to ascertain that Miss Riddle here is nothing more than a liar."

Buffy went to retort, but a sharp glare from Giles quickly told her to think twice about it.  She sighed and kept her mouth closed.

"Professor Dumbledore, I assure you, Buffy is not lying," Giles said.

Dumbledore shifted his gaze between all of the people standing in his office.  The four students behind Giles were nodding their agreement.  Buffy herself was looking as though she was about to breakdown any moment.  Snape looked murderous, and McGonagall looked as though she wanted to believe Giles' tale.  Unfortunately for Dumbledore, he needed to know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Buffy Summers was innocent.  And Snape had just presented him with the perfect way to do so.

Sighing, the Headmaster reached towards the vial and pulled the lid off.  He quickly smelled the potion, just to ensure that Snape hadn't been attempting to do anything too horrible to Buffy.  When he was satisfied that it was only Veritaserum, he handed the vial to Buffy.  She took it tentatively.

"If you wish to stay out of Azkaban, I would suggest drinking it," Dumbledore said softly.

Buffy rolled her eyes, but quickly downed the Potion, her nose wrinkling in distaste as the Potion burned the back of her throat.

"Tell us Miss Riddle, where have you been for the last two hours?" Snape demanded quickly before Dumbledore or anyone else could stop him.

Dumbledore shot the Potions Professor a reprimanding look.  He knew that Veritaserum forced the drinker to answer any and all questions posed to them in the most truthful manner possible.  

"To the best of my knowledge, I've been either in the library or the Gryffindor Common Room," Buffy replied blandly.

The group (minus Snape) breathed a collective sigh of relief.  She hadn't been lying about having no memory of the events.

"Would it have been possible for you to have done what you have been accused of doing?" Snape asked.

"Possibly.  I have the magical strength needed to perform the Cruciatus Curse."

"Have you ever used the Cruciatus Curse?" McGonagall asked.

"Never."

Again, the others sighed with relief.  

"Could you have performed the Cruciatus Curse and have no memory of doing so?" Snape pushed.

"Possibly," Buffy replied.  

"Perhaps she was possessed," McGonagall whispered to Dumbledore.

Buffy turned to face the Professor and felt inclined to speak up even though McGonagall hadn't asked a question.

"I've been possessed before and had perfect memory of the events," Buffy said.  "I don't believe that I was possessed."

"We were suggesting perhaps another student using Polyjuice Potion," Giles offered.

Buffy nodded.  "That could be a possibility.  Unfortunately, with half of the student body actively disliking me for who my father was, it could be just about anyone."

Dumbledore leant forward in his chair and stroked his beard.

"Miss Summers, do you believe that you cast the Cruciatus Curse on Mr Crabbe?" the Headmaster asked.

"No, I don't," Buffy replied honestly.

"Can you think of any instance where you might feel tempted to use the Cruciatus Curse?" he continued.

"No, I can't.  Perhaps if Voldemort was still alive I'd have said yes though," she admitted.

Dumbledore nodded, satisfied with Buffy's answer.  He opened up his desk drawer and handed Buffy another Potion vial.  She took it from his and drank without question.  She felt something shift within her, and knew that the Veritaserum had been nullified by whatever it was that Dumbledore had just given to her.

"Professor Dumbledore, surely you are not going to let her get away with this?" Snape said, barely managing to keep his anger in check.  "One of the students is in the infirmary because of the Cruciatus Curse.  You must take some sort of action."

"I am hardly about to take action against a student who has just proven her innocence.  You heard her answer yourself Severus.  Miss Summers did not knowingly use the Cruciatus Curse on Vincent Crabbe," Dumbledore explained.

Snape was obviously not happy with Dumbledore's answer.  He couldn't believe that Dumbledore wasn't going to take action against Buffy.  His eyes narrowed into slits and he looked away in disgust.

"We still don't know that it wasn't Miss Riddle who used the Cruciatus Curse," Snape said, a definite sulking tone entering his voice.  "Even if she has no memory of it, it was still very clearly her who did it."

"Haven't you been listening?" Giles yelled angrily.  "We just posed a theory of what really happened.  Are you really that spiteful that you would seen innocent girl sent to Azkaban?"

"She is _not_ innocent!" Snape replied.

"I didn't use that Curse on anyone!  I just admitted that much!  With that stupid truth potion as well.  What more can I do to prove to you that it wasn't me or my wand that cast that stupid spell?!" Buffy demanded angrily, standing up to face the Potions Professor.

Snape towered above her angrily, and Buffy stared back with defiance.  As much as she knew that she wasn't meant to be speaking to a Professor the way she'd just spoken to Snape, she couldn't help but keep her anger back.  Her fear at being sent away from Hogwarts was making her anger even more heightened and that was never a good thing.

Student and Professor stood their ground, glaring at each other as though their lives depended on it.  It was only when the last of Buffy's words hit Dumbledore that the thick silence was cut.

"Miss Summers, might I see your wand for a moment," Dumbledore requested.

Buffy tore herself away from the staring match and looked at the Headmaster blankly for a moment.  He nodded encouragingly, and, finally Buffy just shrugged and reached down to where she kept her wand, strapped at her ankle.  Again, McGonagall was startled to realise that the Buffy she had watched used the Curciatus Curse had pulled her wand from within her cloak.  A cloak that the Buffy now in front of her claimed to avoid wearing unless it was during lessons.

Buffy handed the black wand to Dumbledore, and the Headmaster studied it gravely.  He had never seen Buffy's wand close up, though he knew that it was the wand that Voldemort himself had fashioned.  He could feel power pouring from it.  Dark power.  But, like Dumbledore had told Harry in his second year at Hogwarts, it was people's choices which proved what sort of character they truly had.  Even though Buffy Summers was born from quite possibly the most evil man that the wizarding world had ever known, Dumbledore knew that Buffy herself was far from evil.

"Perhaps we can settle this," Dumbledore murmured.

All eyes turned to the aging wizard, and he placed the wand on the desk and withdrew his own wand from his robes.  Pointing his own at Buffy's he murmured an incantation.  "_Priori Incantatum."_

The group watched as echoes of the previous spells floated from the wand in grey mist.  Charms, transfigurations, hexes, a stunning spell that Buffy had used on Hermione's cat to get it away from one of her jackets, the protection spell that she and Harry alternated casting (both of the teens blushed bright red when the echo came forth), and a concealment spell.  The echoes lingered for moments before misting away as the group waited to hear the word 'Crucio' but nothing came from it.  

Dumbledore allowed the spell to continue, the echoes coming out quickly as the spells came out in reverse order.  The group watched, completely mystified by some of the spells that Buffy had tried in the moths before her battle against Voldemort.  McGonagall was highly impressed by some of the echoes that came out, surprised to see and hear that Buffy had been trying a lot of Seventh Year Transfigurations the previous year.  

Buffy felt herself becoming nervous.  She knew that the place they were at was just before the holidays had started the previous year.  Any further back, and the group would hear the curse that had made her a killer.  They would know for certain that she had the strength within her to kill a man.  

"_Avada Kedavra."_

Dumbledore waited several more moments, as stunning spell after stunning spell came out, the hexes the evidence of her battle against Voldemort.  Dumbledore only stopped when the spells had returned to the standard spells that Buffy had been teaching herself.

"I believe in all certainty that Miss Summers did not perform the Cruciatus Curse on Mr Crabbe," Dumbledore announced.  "As you could all see and hear, even when Miss Summers was up against Voldemort, she refused to use the Cruciatus, even though she herself had been subjected to it."

Buffy felt herself begin to breathe a little easier now that Dumbledore had announced that he believed her to be innocent.  Having Giles and her friend behind her was definitely comforting, but there was just something to be said about having the trust of Dumbledore.  

"Whoever it was that used the Cruciatus on Vincent Crabbe, it was not Buffy Summers, and it was not from this wand," Dumbledore continued.

"We don't know that!" Snape protested loudly.  "Perhaps she just used a different wand."

"Actually Professor, I can't use anyone else's wand," Buffy replied calmly.  "No one else's works when I use it."

Snape turned to look at her incredulously.  He knew that every wand chose it's witch or wizard owner, but no wand was ever entirely unsuccessful even if it wasn't one's own.  To hear that no other wand but her own would work for her was news to Snape.

"You've never been able to work another wand except for your own?" Snape asked.

Buffy nodded.  She could remember when she'd let Harry use her wand, just to let him experiment with it.  She knew that Harry was partial to his own wand, with the Phoenix feather core that came from Dumbledore's own bird Fawkes.  When she'd explained to Harry that her own wand's core had come from the Phoenix that belonged to Voldemort, Harry had been keen to test the wand out.  So, as all teens are wont to do, they'd swapped wands for several minutes.

//"I can't get this thing to work," Harry complained.  He held it in front of his face as though to examine why it was faulty.  

_Buffy ignored it for a moment and turned Harry's wand over in her hands.  She couldn't explain it, but she knew that if Harry's wand were placed in a pile of fifty other identical wands, she'd be able to pick his wand out.  There was something about the wand that just screamed Harry._

_She pointed it to the cushion that lay on Harry's bed._

_"Wingardium Leviosa."_

_Nothing.  She shook the wand, as though trying to shift something back into place.  She tried again.  Nothing.  Harry looked at her curiously._

_"That's strange. I can't get your wand to work and you can't get mine to work," he said._

_She took her own wand back from Harry and pointed it at the cushions.  "Wingardium Leviosa."  Harry followed her example.  Success.  The cushion began levitating several feet off the mattress._

_"That's strange," Harry commented._

_Buffy nodded.  She looked to Hermione who had a speculatively look on her face._

_"Maybe it's just you with Harry's wand and Harry with yours," the girl suggested.  Hermione then took her own wand from her robes and handed it to Buffy, who pointed it at a book on the closest desk.  She tried an animal transformation, but again, nothing worked.  Ron handed his wand to Harry, who tried a levitation spell.  Except this time, it worked perfectly._

_"Maybe I just can't use anyone else's wand," Buffy said, handing Hermione her wand back._

_"Perhaps.  That's incredibly rare though," Hermione said._

_"Not to mention the fact that it's kinda creepy.  The only wand that will work for me is one that Voldemort made," Buffy said, pulling a face that clearly showed her displeasure.  _

Hermione nodded her agreement.  It wasn't a comforting thought.//

"I can't use anyone else's wand, but no one else can use mine," Buffy explained.  

"That is very odd," Dumbledore commented.  He held Buffy's wand in front of him and pointed it at a teacup.  "_Fereverta_."  Nothing.  "_Wingardium Leviosa._"  Nothing.  "_Serpensortia._" Harry and Buffy flinched but nothing happened.

"Peculiar," Dumbledore whispered.  

"Like I said, no one else can use it," Buffy said.  "I think Voldemort may have been able to…seeing as he was the one who made it and all that, but…apart from him…no one else has been able to even float a feather with it."

"How do we know that she isn't lying about not being able to work anyone else's wand?" Snape demanded angrily.

"She can't," McGonagall assured him.  "Last year, Miss Summers forgot her wand in her room for one of my lessons.  I lent her a spare, but she could get no results from it whatsoever.  Even with the simplest of spells."

Snape still didn't look entirely happy about it.

"So, we have proven that Miss Summers is indeed innocent," Dumbledore mused.  "Who then was the culprit behind the attack on Mr Crabbe?"

Before anyone could even begin to speak of any of their theories, the door once again burst open.  Eight of the nine people within the room felt their hearts sink.  Snape just smirked and went to welcome their guest.

"How good to see you again Minister Fudge."

----

Long chapter…and who loves cliff-hangers btw?  ;)

Ooo…btw, does anyone know where I can get the script for the movie Charlie's Angels 2: Full Throttle?  Cos I've got this weird idea fo a crossover that I really wanna write, but I can't do it without the script.  Any and all help in locating said script would be tremendously appreciated!

Many thanks to everyone for your feedback and your emails and stuff.  Always good fun.

Toodles.


	28. The Ministry

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: THE MINISTRY

Cornelius Fudge was not a patient man.  He was a man of action who liked for everything to be completely orderly.  He did not appreciate being disturbed by nearly fifty owls from irate parents, complaining once again, about Buffy Summers.  He also did not appreciate having to apparate to Hogsmeade, and then get the train in to Hogwarts.  And he definitely did not appreciate the glares that he was getting from the five students and the Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor.  This was supposed to be his day off.  It was Halloween for Merlin's sake.

"What exactly is the meaning of this Albus?" Fudge demanded, not paying any attention to the fact that Snape had just greeted him.  He looked angrily at the Headmaster, who was sitting very calmly behind his desk.

"The meaning of what Cornelius?" Dumbledore replied.

"You know very well what," Fudge said.  "I've had over fifty owls making complaints about a student using an Unforgivable Curse within Hogwarts grounds.  On another student no less.  What exactly has been going on here?"

"If you would perhaps take a seat Cornelius, we were about to get to the bottom of all of this before you came bursting through the door," Dumbledore said.

Fudge scowled angrily, but complied with Dumbledore's request.  He took a seat, taking a moment to glare at Buffy Summers, who just glared back defiantly.

"Are the allegations true?" Fudge asked.

"No."

Fudge seemed to deflate with that very simple answer.

"Oh.  What exactly is going on then?"

"One of our students managed to perfectly masquerade themselves as Buffy Summers.  One can only assume it was in order to ruin Miss Summer's life," Dumbledore explained.  "We've already tested Miss Summers through the use of Veritaserum and the Priori Incantatem charm.  She is not guilty of what you accuse her of."

"I've had fifty owls from parents who said their children saw it with their own eyes," Fudge said.  "Without proof of who it is, we'll have no choice but to lock Miss Summers up."

Buffy felt her legs go weak, and for the first time since entering the office, Harry rushed to her side to give her physical and emotional support.  His arms rested on her waist, and he could feel Buffy using him as a crutch to keep herself standing, her head resting against his shoulder.  

"You can't lock an innocent girl up," Giles argued.

"With as many eye-witnesses as it seems we have, the Ministry can do just that," Fudge replied.  "The parents are calling for justice, and it must be made.  No parent is going to want their children around a student who has shown themselves to be capable of performing a curse that is entirely illegal."

Buffy sighed.  This was an all too familiar argument.  She was beginning to very much hate the Ministry of Magic.  There was no winning with them at all.  

"Not to mention the fact that when I walked through the Entrance Hall just now, there were over a hundred children down there huddled in groups, clearly terrified by what had happened.  It's not fair for your students to be placed in a situation that they are uncomfortable with," Fudge said.

"And it is not fair to expel or imprison an innocent girl purely because she has several enemies in the school who are wanting you to take such severe actions against her," Dumbledore said.  "I will not let you even consider sending Miss Summers to Azkaban."

Fudge threw his hands into the air, clearly frustrated.  He didn't enjoy dealing with Dumbledore on the subject of Buffy Summers.  When it came to the young girl, Dumbledore seemed to be of one mind.  She could do no wrong and was an innocent bystander in all of it.  And while Fudge did have to admit that Buffy Summers had done them all a huge service by getting rid of Voldemort, she was still an incredibly dangerous entity just by herself.

"Something must be done," Fudge emphasised.

"I completely agree," Snape spoke up.

Buffy turned to glare at the man, fed up by his behaviour.

"You know, for someone who was given a pretty big second chance, you really have a lot of issues trusting other people.  Dumbledore could have said all the stuff that you're saying about me, but he never did.  I've never done a single thing to hurt anyone else, and you won't even give me a first chance let alone a second one.  You used to be a Death-Eater Professor Snape.  I know that for a fact.  So, you can get down from your little self-placed pedestal, and start treating me like an actual person," Buffy ranted.

The room suddenly went silent.  Buffy had the urge to begin fidgeting nervously, but she kept herself completely still.  She couldn't believe she'd finally gone off at Snape like that.  She'd kept that bottled up for several months now, and as good as it felt to say it, she also knew that Snape was hardly a tolerant man.

"Ten points from Gryffindor for speaking to a Professor in such an impertinent manner," Snape growled angrily.

Giles stepped forward and placed a hand on Buffy's shoulder.

"Ten points _to_ Gryffindor for standing up to such a blatant display of hypocrisy," Giles defended.  "Severus, you may have issues with what you yourself did while you were in Voldemort's service, but you cannot take them out on Buffy any longer.  She is innocent. She never gave in to the temptation to do evil.  You did.  Deal with it Severus and move on."

Snape stood up to his full height and stared at Giles.  But, the protector of Voldemort's daughter had seen many things in his life, and Severus Snape was no real threat to him.  He was merely a man who couldn't forgive himself for being so weak as to seek power in the wrong place.

"Well said Rupert," Dumbledore said softly.

Snape turned his gaze to Dumbledore, looking and feeling utterly betrayed.  The one person he had ever truly believed in was telling him that he had been wrong, and that hurt more than he cared to admit.  Dumbledore just continued to hold Snape's gaze, his eyes soft and imploring, trying to silently tell Snape that his treatment of Buffy was far too brutal.

"Severus, I know that you regret what happened in your year of service to Voldemort, but you must remember that you were given another chance," Dumbledore said gently.  "If you cannot give others even a first chance, how can you expect people to trust you?"

Snape sighed and stepped back.  

Harry and Ron exchanged glances, both of them wondering how it was possible for them to pity a man they practically hated.  They had always wanted to see Snape taken down a notch or two, and now that they had seen it, they weren't left feeling joyful or happy at all.  They felt sick to the stomach and they could only hope that Snape had actually learnt something from being reprimanded.

"Fascinating though this is," Fudge said, eager to get back to his day off, "we must remember why we are here.  The parents believe Miss Summers to be dangerous.  And even if she is innocent as you claim, something must be done."

"We must find the true perpetrator," Giles said immediately.  

"There are over three hundred students in this school…how are we meant to find out who did it if we don't have the first clue?" Harry asked.

Again the room fell silent.  Buffy sighed, wondering what her future would be like if Dumbledore had no choice but to ask her to leave.  She had no idea of where she could go.  She had no money, she relied on Giles for that.  She had no friends in the wizarding world apart from the people at Hogwarts.  All that she really had outside of Hogwarts was Willow and Xander, and even then she could never truly fit in with the again.  She would always be an outsider to them now.  At least when she was the Slayer and in Sunnydale, she had had a purpose, she had known what she needed to do and how she'd had to go about doing it.  But now that she was in Hogwarts and being faced with the sudden fear of having to leave without graduating, she had little to no idea of what her future held for her.

Before she could get too lost in her musing, it was, surprisingly the last person she had expected to speak up who broke the silence.

"I think I might have an idea."

All eyes turned to look at Professor Snape.

------------------------

"I really don't like this idea," Harry said.

"You haven't liked it for the last two hours Harry," Buffy pointed out.  "Unfortunately, it's the only half decent idea that anyone could come up with."

 "I mean, as plans go, it's not exactly…well…safe, is it?"

"I can handle it Harry," Buffy assured him.  "As long as Fudge sticks to what we've all agreed upon.  I won't feel a thing." 

  
"But does it have to be _his_ idea?" Harry complained.  

Buffy couldn't help but laugh at the plaintive note in Harry's voice.  She settled herself closer to her boyfriend, thankful to finally be able to relax in Harry's arms.  She looked around _their_ room, thankful that they had a private sanctuary away from the prying eyes of the other students.

Dumbledore had actually suggested for Buffy to stay there by herself so that the other students wouldn't bother her with their whispers and gossip while she tried to either sleep or do homework.  Dumbledore had been slightly surprised when Harry had announced that if Buffy was being kicked out of the Gryffindor Tower, then he would join her in 'exile'.  Buffy had protested slightly, but when she'd caught the mischievous glint in his eyes, she had stopped.

"At least the idea involves the two of us being as far away from everyone else as possible," Buffy said.

Harry let a smile appear on his face slowly, and he placed his hands on Buffy's hips, bringing her to sit on his lap, straddling his legs and facing towards him.

"That does have certain possibilities, doesn't it?"

"Mmmhmmm."

Their lips met slowly and Harry sighed in contentment.  His entire day had been a roller coaster of emotion, and he was glad that everything had finally settled down.  He hated thinking about the two hours where his heart had been shattered.  He hated thinking about what would have happened if it had truly been Buffy who had broken up with him.  He didn't think of himself as being co-dependant, but he knew without a doubt that he was desperately in love with Buffy.

"This has been the weirdest day," Buffy murmured against Harry's lips.

"You're not kidding," Harry agreed fervently.

Buffy sighed softly and pulled away from Harry, much to his disappointment.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?  What she said to you?" Buffy asked softly.

Harry's face fell and he buried his head in Buffy's neck, inhaling the scent of vanilla and strawberries.  He tightened his grip on his girlfriend and let himself luxuriate in having her back in his arms where she belonged. 

"She said…that I wasn't mature enough for you…her.  That she needed someone who understood her," Harry said.

"From the sounds of Drake's story, whoever it was thought there was something going on between Drake and I," Buffy said.

Harry nodded.  He was still slightly disturbed by the fact that Buffy's doppelganger had kissed Draco, but he knew that Buffy would never do that.  Not only because Draco was her cousin, but he knew that Buffy would be completely faithful to him.

Buffy gently took Harry's chin and tilted his head so that their eyes met for several long moments.  After nearly a half minute, Harry's gaze dropped and he felt something akin to shame rise inside of him.

"I accused you…her of being in love with Oliver," Harry admitted.

"Oliver Wood?" Buffy asked.

Harry nodded.  

Buffy could only sigh.  She had often wondered what was going on between herself and Oliver.  There was a definite attraction between them.  But Buffy loved Harry with everything that she was.  And she had squelched down any sort of warm fuzzies she'd been having for the flying instructor.  He was a good friend, someone that she found to be funny and charming, but she would never allow anything to happen between them.

"We've never spoken about the whole me and Oliver thing," Buffy whispered quietly.

Harry felt his heart sink once again.  "Is there…I mean, I know you'd never…cheat, but…do you…"

"Have feelings for him?" Buffy finished.  

Harry just nodded, his expression almost a wince of anticipatory pain. 

"I love you Harry," Buffy assured him.  "I have no doubts about being with you.  You're absolutely everything I could possibly want in a boyfriend, and in a lover.  And I respect you, so I'm gonna be honest here.  I am attracted to him.  But nothing…_nothing_ will ever happen between he and I.  I'm your girl, and I'm gonna stay that way."

Harry sighed with relief.  While it wasn't comforting to hear that Buffy was attracted to him, he knew that it wouldn't be possible for Buffy to never find another man attractive ever again just because she was dating him.  Harry knew for a fact that he found other girls attractive as well, but he would never consider doing anything to jeopardise his relationship with Buffy.

"Thank you for being honest," Harry whispered softly.

Buffy nodded and smiled at him, gently bringing her lips to touch his in a chaste, promise of a kiss.  The kind of kiss that made you believe that forever was an achievable goal.

----

Awww, mush.

Now, here's something that I thought would give you guys some food for thought.

What house is James Potter in?  Your instinctive answer for that of course is going to be Gryffindor, am I correct?  But WHERE in the books does it EVER mention that James/Sirius/Remus/Peter are actually in Gryffindor?  I mean, presume much?  So…is anyone else thinking that James may well have been in Gryffindor?

(And, anyone wanting to mention that the movie has the trophy with Gryffindor on it can just not mention it, cos as much as I love the films, they're no where near gospel on the books.)

So…there's a thought for the day.  (Hope I haven't just given out a weird spoiler or something, but…my sister mentioned the whole house thing and I thought I'd spread the confusion.)

As always, many thanks for your feedback!  You guys rock!

Toodles.

DKG.


	29. The Charade

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: THE CHARADE

Harry sat beside Ron, with Hermione and Draco sitting on the opposite side of the table.  The group was oddly quiet, none of them eating, too nervous to actually get any food into their stomachs.  Every few seconds, one or all of the group would cast a nervous glance at the double doors of the Great Hall.

Giles, Snape, McGonagall and Dumbledore were seated at the Professors table, each of them attempting to maintain a casual persona.  Giles couldn't believe that he had agreed to Snape's plan.  Snape couldn't believe that the others had agreed with the plan he'd come up with.  Dumbledore could only hope that everything went accordingly.  He did not wish for this to be drawn out for very long.

The double doors at the back of the Hall burst open, drawing the attention of the entire school.  Dumbledore stood to greet the outraged Cornelius Fudge followed by three Aurors.

"Where is she Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded.  "We've searched this entire castle, and she is not here."

The students broke out into hushed whispers, most of them comprising of the words "Buffy…" "Summers…" "…Know-Who's daughter…" "Cruciatus…" "…Crabbe…" "…Azkaban."

"Believe me Cornelius, I wish for her to be apprehended as expediently as possible," Dumbledore said.  "We have not seen Miss Summers since she fled from my office yesterday evening.  It is possible that she is no longer at Hogwarts."

"Or, maybe the whole lot of you are ignorant idiots who have no idea of the kind of power that I hold in my hands," came a new voice from behind the three Aurors.

Every single person in the Hall turned to look at Buffy as she entered.  She fought to keep herself from going bright red under their scrutiny.  This wasn't the first time that the whole school had thought her to be completely evil, so this was nothing new for her.  She just wished that her reputation hadn't been completely killed by whomever it was that had been masquerading as her the previous day.  

She had her suspicions about who it might have been.  When Snape had come up with the plan to trap the real perpetrator, Buffy's memory had clicked onto something important that Snape had taught them in class.

A person's hair was a powerful spell ingredient.  That was why it was so important to keep yourself guarded during a fight, and to try and erase any remains of yourself from an area after leaving a confrontation.  She'd completely forgotten about the two Slytherin girls who had been so antagonistic to her one morning before Defence Against the Dark Arts.  They'd pulled out a strand of her hair. Buffy had thought that it was merely a childish display, but, considering the theory of a Polyjuice Potion, it seemed to be the most logical answer.

Which then meant that it was most likely a Slytherin person who had made themselves the potion.  Harry, Ron, Hermione, Buffy and Draco all presumed that it was either Millicent Bulstrode or Blaise Zabini, but since they had no solid proof, they needed to be certain.  They were hoping that this charade would give them the proof that they needed.

"You won't be holding any power once we throw you into Azkaban," Fudge said coldly.

Buffy just smirked at him.  "I'd like to see you try."

Fudge looked at the three Aurors and nodded to them.  They each drew out their wands and shouted a simultaneous curse.  "_Stupefy!_"  Buffy flew backwards, hitting the now closed double doors of the Great Hall.  She fell to the round, slumping against the wall.

Giles half-stood in panic.  That hadn't been part of the plan.  They were meant to have hit her with one stunning spell, not three.  Snape reached over to touch Giles' arm, silently telling the DADA Professor to remain calm.

Giles couldn't take his eyes off his fallen charge, but Snape and Dumbledore's eyes were trained on the two girls that Buffy had named as the people she thought could be the ones behind the entire confusing incident.

Blaise Zabini and Millicent Bulstrode, however, were not the only Slytherins who looked overly satisfied by the fact that Buffy Summers had just been knocked out by the Stunning Spell.  Snape, who knew the Slytherin students the best, could see the satisfied smirks of Goyle and a somehow miraculously healed Crabbe as well.

Snape leant across to whisper to Giles.  "I could perhaps be wrong, but I was under the impression that a victim of the Cruciatus Curse is usually bed-ridden for nearly twelve hours, even with the proper healing medicines.  It has barely been six hours since the curse hit him."

Giles turned to look at the boy in question.  He hadn't noticed that Crabbe was sitting at the Slytherin table, calm as you please.  In fact, he didn't seem to be suffering any ill effects at all.  And Giles knew for certain that as someone who was meant to have been suffering the after effects of a Cruciatus Curse, he should have been unconscious in the hospital wing.

"I think perhaps there was more than one person involved in today's affair," Dumbledore whispered quietly.

Snape, McGonagall and Giles nodded their agreement.  They hadn't thought too much about how many people would have been involved in what had happened.

Giles stood as he saw one of the Aurors move to pick Buffy up in a fireman's carry.  He quickly moved towards Fudge and the Aurors, wanting to put as much room between the Ministry and his young charge.

"I am sorry Professor Giles, but your ward is going to be charged with using an Unforgiveable Curse," Fudge said coolly.  "No doubt she'll be sent to Azkaban for this."

"You cannot send a minor to Azakaban," Giles protested loudly.

Dumbledore clapped his hands loudly, gaining everyone's attention.  

"Perhaps this conversation could be relocated gentlemen," the Headmaster suggested.

Fudge scowled up at the man.  "There is not going to be anymore conversation about this matter Dumbledore," Fudge said.  "She will be charged, and she will be found guilty.  There is nothing more to discuss."

Harry fidgeted nervously in his seat.  Hermione kicked him beneath the table to get him to stay still.  He glared at her, but settled himself down.  He didn't like seeing Buffy slung over some stranger's shoulder.  He definitely hadn't liked seeing his girlfriend hit by three Stunning Spells at the one time.  And he really didn't like the mention of Azkaban in regards to Buffy.   Even knowing what was really going on, he was very uncomfortable with the Ministry being anywhere near Buffy.

"Now, if you don't mind, we're leaving," Fudge said.  With flourish, he turned and stalked out the door, the three Aurors trailing behind him, with Buffy still slung over one of the Auror's shoulders.  

It was quiet and subtle and would have been missed altogether had Snape not been watching the four Slytherin suspects like a hawk.  Blaise, Millicent, Goyle and Crabbe's smirks all seemed to widen.  They looked completely jubilant at the sight of Buffy being carted off by the Ministry.  The rest of the Slytherins looked as confused as the rest of the school, but the four that Snape suspected looked as though they had just won the lottery.

Draco was glaring at his former housemates.  Goyle and Crabbe smirked at him, Goyle flipping him off before returning to his food.  Millicent exchanged a satisfied look with Crabbe and Goyle before returning to a conversation with Pansy Parkinson.  Blaise caught Draco's gaze and found herself unable to hold it.  Why, she couldn't have explained, but she was unable to keep looking him in the eye.

When Blaise looked away, Draco knew without a doubt who it was that had kissed him earlier in the day.  It may have looked and sounded like Buffy, but it was Blaise Zabini who had been behind it.  Her words from many weeks before suddenly came back to him.

"_I mean to have you Malfoy.  And I will._"  It made so much more sense now.  The only question was, why Zabini would have gone to such great lengths to get him.  Had she made the Potion merely to have a shot with Draco, or had it been to completely ruin Buffy's life.  Then again, the two went hand in hand quite well, so it was possible that Blaise had just decided to kill two birds with the one stone.

"It was Blaise," Draco whispered under his breath.

The three Gryffindors looked at him, startled.  "How do you know that?" Harry asked.

Draco cast another glance at Blaise, who again looked away when their eyes met.  Draco smirked at her before turning his attention back to his three…dare he say it…friends.

"A few weeks ago, in that Potions lesson where Zabini completely messed up the potion…she told me that she…well…wanted me," Draco explained.

Harry and Ron shared a look that Draco just glared at them for. 

"I know, I know, who'd want someone like me," Draco said, in a mock-depreciating way.  "That's not the point.  The point is, she said that she was going to have me.  That while she may not have been my type then, she would become my type.  She thought I was in love with Buffy.  And when I looked at her just now…there's no way it wasn't her.  I would recognise her eyes anywhere now." 

Harry looked over his shoulder towards the Slytherin table.  He nearly growled in anger at the smirks he saw four of the Slytherins wearing.  When he saw Blaise, he too couldn't help but recognise the coldness of the eyes.  While the eyes that Blaise had been looking out of earlier that day may have been hazel, there as no way to hide the cold depths that Harry and Draco had both seen.  And Blaise's brown eyes had the exact same coldness that they'd seen in Buffy's earlier.

"The eyes are the window to the soul," Hermione mused.

"If she even _has_ a soul," Ron added darkly, chancing a glance at the Slytherins.

"What I want to know is how Crabbe is out of the hospital wing so quickly," Draco said.

The other three turned thoughtful at that suggestion.  They looked up to where Madame Pomfrey sat, calm as she could be.  The three Gryffindors and the former Slytherin knew from experience that whenever Pomfrey had a patient, she was incredibly neurotic in her worry.  How she could possibly be so calm when she was meant to have had a patient go through with the injuries from a Cruciatus Curse was beyond her. 

"Does anyone think that maybe that Cruciatus Curse never even hit Crabbe?" Hermione suggested.

The other three turned thoughtful.

"You'd think that Crabbe wouldn't be so thick as to turn up for dinner so soon after being 'hit' by a curse," Ron said.  "I know he's got the appetite of an elephant, but even that's a little too dumb even for him."

"He's never been accused of being the brightest among the Slytherins," Draco commented.  

Their attention was drawn back to the Professors table when they saw Snape stand and approach Pomfrey.

"Looks like Snape just had the same idea we had," Harry commented.

Ron's nose wrinkled in disgust.  "Scary."

They saw Pomfrey shake her head, in what they could only guess was a response to the question of having treated Vincent Crabbe.  

The four students exchanged curious glances, Harry smiling a little.  If Pomfrey hadn't admitted Crabbe to the Hospital Wing, there was no way that the Ministry could convict Buffy, even though Fudge was part of Snape's plan.  The problem was, with so many students having seen Buffy perform the spell with their own eyes, there _was_ enough evidence to get Buffy in serious trouble.  They were lucky that Fudge was going along with the plan at all.

Or so they thought…

-----

Dun nun nun nah.  Suspend your sense of reality for a while. ;)  My apologies for the lack of updates.  Sadly I've just hit a horrible patch of uni, and have got exams and assignments coming out my…ears.  *ahem*  moving along…

Many thanks for your feedback!

Toodles.

K.


	30. The Betrayal

CHAPTER THIRTY: THE BETRAYAL

Giles followed Fudge and the three Aurors out into the Entrance Hall, the Professor keeping a close eye on the Auror that was carrying Buffy.  Giles closed the doors behind them and looked at Fudge expectantly.

Fudge looked back at Giles questioningly, as though he was uncertain what Giles wanted him to do.  Giles' eyes narrowed dangerously and he gave his patented Ripper-glare.

"Let her go Fudge," Giles said quietly.

Fudge just shook his head and glanced at the three Aurors, who took their silent cue from the Minister of Magic.  The three men turned and began walking towards the double doors at the far end of the Entrance Hall.  Giles froze momentarily before working out what exactly was happening.

He raced after the three Aurors, grabbing hold of the man who carried Buffy.  Giles couldn't quite work out the best way to attack the man without hurting Buffy, and so had no choice but to hope that Buffy would heal from any damage caused in the scuffle.  Giles punched the man's nose, causing him to drop the small blonde girl in his arms.  Giles quickly pulled out his wand to -"_Stupefy_!"- stun the man, but found that the other two Aurors didn't appreciate one of their own being attacked.

His wand was quickly -_"expelliarmus_!"- taken from him, and he found himself laid out flat out on his back, stunned.  Fudge stood above Giles and smirked at him.

"It looks as though you lose this time," Fudge said coolly.  

The three Aurors, one carrying Buffy, and the other helping the other Auror who'd been stunned, followed Fudge out the front door of Hogwarts, leaving Giles to wait out the effects of the Stunning Spell.

All Giles could do was silently pray to whatever Higher Powers were listening that Buffy would make it through whatever the Ministry had planned.

------------------------

"You wanted this to happen!"

"I wanted no such thing Mr Weasley."

"I bet you and Fudge were in on it together.  It was your idea in the first place!" Ron accused.

Things had gone from bad to worse when the group had found out about Fudge's other plan to take Buffy regardless of her innocence.  Ron had lost his temper, and Snape was on the receiving end of it.  Hermione was completely stunned, Harry was devastated, and Draco was pacing the room anxiously.

"Who knows what he's doing to her!" Ron continued, ranting obliviously to Snape's rising anger.  "I bet he's locked her up in a dark room with a billion dementors.  What if he's using the Cruciatus Curse on her.  What if he uses the Avada Kedavra Curse?"

"Ron-" Harry tried.

"What if she's already dead?  What if we can't save her?  What kind of friends are we?"

"Ron-" Hermione attempted.

"What if we ever see her again?  What if-"

"RON!" 

Ron stopped at Harry and Hermione's simultaneous yell.  He turned to look at them, startled out of his questioning.  He sighed, the wind taken out of him and took a seat between his best friend and his girl friend.  

"We should have expected something like this," Giles muttered angrily.

He couldn't believe he'd let himself be set up like that.  He should have known that something in the plan had been changed when the Aurors had knocked her out with three stunning spells instead of one.  He shouldn't have trusted Cornelius Fudge to agree so readily to their plan.  Unfortunately, Fudge had seemed to genuinely wish to aide them in helping Buffy.  

Dumbledore sighed quietly and stroked his beard, deep in thought.  

"As far as I am aware, no minor will be allowed into Azkaban Prison, unless they are there visiting," Dumbledore mused.

The group seemed to sigh in relief at hearing that news.  

"Well, in the muggle world, they have juvenile detention centres," Harry said.  "Does the wizarding world have anything like that?"

Dumbledore shook his head.  "Before the rise of Voldemort, if a juvenile committed a felony, they were left in the hands of their parents.  Or, if their parents were unfit, they were left in the custody of Hogwarts.  Unfortunately, seeing as Buffy's father is neither alive nor exceptionally trustworthy even if he were, there is no where for her to go."

"Why won't she be handed over to Sara?" Draco asked.

"Sara Lanstone was banished from the Wizarding community.  Regardless of the fact that she was never a Death-Eater, nor even remotely evil, she will not be welcomed back.  Not when Cornelius Fudge is still the Minister of Magic," Dumbledore explained.

"Which means that Buffy can't be given over to her parents, and she is obviously not going to be entrusted to Hogwarts," Giles summed up. 

Silence once more filled the room, each of them deep in their own thoughts.  Hermione was close to tears, and Harry wasn't far off either.  Again the silence was broken by the most unlikeliest of people.

"Whilst Mr Weasley may have been…overly dramatic…he might not be wrong," Snape spoke up softly.  "We don't know what Fudge will do with her.  He has shown, time and time again, that he holds Miss Ridd-…Miss Summers with little to no regard."

"We _have_ to do something," Harry said, his voice quietly forceful.  His eyes held tears, anger and love.  He was getting increasingly tired of people kidnapping his girlfriend.  

"It's not as though we can exactly appeal to the Ministry," Hermione said quietly, her voice croaky and strained from holding back her tears.  "And even if we did, who would go against the Minister of Magic?"

"Perhaps the first order of business will be to locate Buffy," Giles suggested.  "Fudge may just be daft enough to place her in Azkaban regardless of the fact that she is a minor."

"So, how do we get into Azkaban without Fudge noticing us?" Draco asked.

Once more the room fell silent.  Harry suddenly grinned and clicked his fingers, an idea forming in his mind.

"Harry?" Hermione asked curiously.  

Harry looked up, his grin widening.  

"I think I have a plan."

"I'd like to place a vote against this plan," Snape said.

Harry glared at the Professor.  "You haven't even heard it," he complained.

Snape smirked and raised his eyebrows at the Sixth Year Gryffindor.  "No, but I can guess what you're about to say."

"Really?"

"If it has anything to do with whom I think it had to do with…"

------------------------

When Buffy awoke, she knew that she was in trouble.  The last thing she remembered was taunting the Ministry Aurors in the Great Hall.  Usually, having no memory after such an action was generally not a good thing.  She awoke to find her hands bound and her mouth gagged shut.  

She shifted slightly to try and feel her wand in its position in her boot, but couldn't feel the comforting black wooden length.  She scowled, annoyed that something had obviously gone very wrong sometime between the meeting in Dumbledore's office and the confrontation in the Great Hall.  Her first and only conclusion, Fudge was an asshole.

She opened her eyes, not surprised to find two of the three Aurors who had accompanied Fudge to be guarding her.  She glared fiercely at them, but they only smirked at her.  One of the men stood and walked to the door of the large office that they were in.  He opened the door and whispered something to someone on the other side.  Buffy guessed that it was the third Auror.

She listened carefully, trying to pick up on what was said.  She grunted when she realised that she couldn't hear them.  She really missed having her slaying powers.  With them, she could have broken her bonds easily, fought the three men and made it out of wherever they were holding her, all in under ten minutes.  She knew she shouldn't have agreed to allowing the Ministry to strip her of her powers.  It seemed that even with them gone, the Ministry still did not trust her.  All of it was for nothing after all.

He door swung wide open, Cornelius Fudge strutting into the room.  He moved to stand in front of Buffy and carefully removed the gag from her mouth.

"You asshole," she spat out angrily.

"Colourful girl," he commented dryly.  

"You really have no concept of right and wrong, do you?"

"I am right, you are wrong.  That is all I need to know," he replied.  "You are Voldemort's daughter.  I have not, and will never trust you.  Had I had the power to have you eliminated when you were a child, you would not be here."

"I am not my father," Buffy said vehemently.  

Fudge shrugged and hauled Buffy to her feet.  She stumbled slightly, and the two Aurors grabbed hold of her by her arms, dragging her out of the office.  They walked through a corridor lined with doors until the reached the end offices.  The doors went from wood to steel, and Buffy knew that this was not a good thing.  They reached the final door and Buffy felt complete and utter terror.

The two Aurors shoved Buffy into the room.  The walls were painted black, and there was nothing to it except for a drain in the corner and a small square window that was only six square inches.  The window was in the top right hand corner of the room, six and a half feet off the ground, making it impossible for Buffy to even reach it.

The two Aurors stepped out and Fudge entered the room.  He gestured for Buffy to turn and face away from him, which she reluctantly did.  She felt him untie her hands, but he kept hold of them so that she couldn't move.

"The only reason you haven't been sent to Azkaban is because they will not allow someone of your age to be placed there.  But that does not mean that there aren't other ways of making you suffer for what you've done," Fudge said, his voice low and menacing, barely a whisper in her ear.

"But I haven't _done_ anything!" Buffy yelled, struggling against him.  He shoved her against the wall, knocking the wind out of her.  He leant his weight against her, crushing her into the cool concrete.

"You have Dumbledore bewitched.  Rupert Giles is too attached to you to see your darkness.  Mr Potter is too young, and his two friends are too naïve to understand the darkness within you.  Mr Malfoy is drawn to you as he was drawn to his Slytherin friends, because you, Elizabeth Riddle, are nothing more than an instrument of evil," Fudge said.  "And I will not stand by and watch you destroy the wizarding world."

He drew back, still holding onto Buffy, making her take a step back with him.  Before she could regain her balance, he shoved her forcefully into the wall, and stepped out of the room.  Before the door shut though, Buffy felt everything inside of her suddenly seize up with dread.  Her mouth dried out and her stomach fell, her throat tightening in sudden fear.

Her knees buckled and she dropped to the ground, scooting back against the wall and drawing her knees to her chest.  As a barrage of coldness hit her, she looked up she saw a black-cloaked shadow waft through the door.  She tried to get a glance at it's face, an old habit picked up from slaying.  Always look your opponent in the eyes.  Except this creatures face was completely blackened, and she could only wonder what was beneath the hood.  

The door slammed shut, magically locking itself, and Buffy felt every single drop of happiness and hope that she'd ever felt completely drop away, leaving her in a labyrinth of her deepest, darkest and worst nightmares.  She closed her eyes and let the tears finally fall.

----

This does not look good for our heroine…

Many thanks for your reviews and emails!

DKG


	31. The Memories

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: THE MEMORIES

"You are the Chosen One.  You alone can stop them.  The vampires." _Merrick!  Oh god…I…I'm so sorry_.  "You burnt down a gym!"  "It wasn't my fault!"  "I'm sorry Buffy…your father and I…we're getting divorced."  _Moving?  What?  Why?  And where the hell's Sunnydale?_

Her chest felt tight.  She was unable to breath, and all she could hear was her parents fighting over what was best for her.  She curled up into a ball, her hands over her ears, trying to get the voices to cease whispering to her.  It did nothing to help her, and the voices continued to assault her.

"You know, I just wanted to start over. Be like everybody else.  Have some friends, y'know, maybe a dog…but, no, you had to come here, you couldn't go suck on some other town."  _Jesse…_  "I don't like vampires. I'm gonna take a stand and say they're not good." 

"I'm not _in_ trouble."  "No, not yet…"  "Your own thing, whatever it is, got you kicked out of school, and we had to move here to find a decent school that would take you!"

"You killed my date!"  "Responsibility and sacrifice…" _Sacrifice, huh?_  "Two days in my world and he really would get himself killed.  Or I'd get him killed.  Or someone else."

"Angel, what, what is it?  What's wrong?" *screams!*  _Angel's a vampire?!_ "For a hundred years I offered ugly death to everyone I met, and I did it with a song in my heart."  

"What's the fun of burying someone if they're already dead?"  "This isn't real.  You can't be free."  "I am free because you fear it.  Because you fear it, the world is crumbling.  Your nightmares are made flesh…what are you afraid of?  How about…being buried alive?"  "You never told me you dreamt of becoming a vampire."

"Tomorrow night, Buffy will face the Master, and she will die." _I'm sixteen years old.  I don't wanna die._  "You're the one that sets me free.  If you hadn't come, I couldn't go.  Think about that."

Even dying hadn't been this painful.  This was a thousand times worse than death.  This was being in hell, alone with only the worst of the most horrible of her memories.  

"What I don't want is to be disappointed in you again."  "What happens on Saturday?"  _I kill you._  "Do we really need weapons for this?"  "I just like them.  They make me feel all manly."  

"I did a lot of unconscionable things when I became a vampire.  Drusilla was the worst.  She was…an obsession of mine.  She was pure and sweet and chaste…I made her insane.  Killed everybody she loved. Visited every mental torture on her I could devise.  She eventually fled to a convent, and on the day she took her holy orders, I turned her into a demon."  

"Ted!  You killed him!"  _He was a person, and I killed him._  "I'm the Slayer…I had no right to hit him like that."  

"I'll be back.  I will."  "But when?  Six months?  A year? You don't know how long it's gonna take, or even if you'll…"  

"Like I really wanted to stick around after that." "Was it me?  Was I not good?"  "It's what?  Bells ringing?  Fireworks?  A dulcet choir of pretty little birdies?  Come on Buffy, it's not like I've never been there before."  _Dream on schoolgirl.  Your boyfriend is dead._  "If Angel achieved true happiness, even just a moment…he would lose his soul."  _So it was me…I did it._  "You can't do it.  You can't kill me."  "Give me time."

"Instead of protecting Theresa from a werewolf I was able to not protect her from something just as bad."  _Theresa's a vampire._  "Angel sends his love."  

"Sorry Angel…changed the locks."  "If Giles wants to go after the fiend that killed his girlfriend, I say 'faster, pussycat, kill, kill'."  "You can't leave me.  I can't do this alone."

"This does not look good for our heroine."  "Please don't make me stay here."  "So this isn't about you being afraid of hospitals cos your cousin died and you want to conjure up a monster you can fight so you can save everybody and not feel so helpless?"  _It killed Celia._  

Memory after painful memory cascaded through Buffy's mind, making the blonde girl retreat further and further into herself to try and be rid of them.  Unfortunately for her, the harder she tried to avoid them, the more painful the memories became.  

"I want it over with."  "You have the right to remain silent…"  "The doctor said it was head trauma…"   "In the end, you're always by yourself.  You're all you've got.  That's the point."  "He's got your Watcher.  Right now he's probably torturing him."  _Mom…I'm a Vampire Slayer._  "Buffy this is insane, you need help!"  "If you walk out of this house, don't even think about coming back!"  "No weapons, no friends, no hope.  Take all that away and what's left?"  _Close your eyes._

"You're Voldemort's daughter."  "You're saying that I'm about sixteen?"  "_Finite Incantatum._"  "That wand…nothing but darkness."  "Trust needs to be earned."  "Did any of you know that Vol…that You-Know-Who had a child?"

"Welcome home Elizabeth."  _Hello lover._   "For tonight is the night that our dark princess has been brought back into the fold."   "It's the Dark Mark, Voldemort's symbol."  "Like we'd leave Hermione in here with a murderer!"  "You're _his_ daughter!"  "You're a Death-Eater!"  "You dared to escape from me."  "_Crucio!"  _"If I kill him then…I become him."  "_Avada Kedavra!" _ 

"I will never trust _his_ daughter."  "They wish to take away your slaying abilities."  "So, basically what it comes down to is that you don't trust me."  "I feel weak."

"When she finally follows in her father's footsteps like everyone thinks she will, Malfoy will be the first to join up."  "I am right, you are wrong.  That is all I need to know."  "And I will not stand by and watch you destroy the wizarding world."

She'd never felt despair like this before.  It was as though every piece of hope, every piece of happiness, every piece of bliss that she'd ever held onto was just sucked dry, leaving her with only the most painful of memories.  She squeezed her eyes closed and pressed her hands over her ears, as though to stop the barrage of voices that yelled into her mind.  Except the voices didn't stop.  On and on they came until all that was left was a whimpering mess, curled in the corner of the room.

From the small slot window in the door, Cornelius Fudge watched with complete satisfaction.  He hadn't excepted things to go so well.  This was far better than what he'd hoped for.  He knew that there was no way that Buffy could escape the room she was being confined in.  Not only would she need to break out of the haze of pain, she would have to defeat the Dementor and find a way out of the room.   He was definitely glad they'd removed the Slayer's strength from her at the beginning of the year.  

The room she was confined in had been spelled to prevent any form of apparating, but Fudge knew that Buffy could apparate into and out of Hogwarts, something that was heretofore impossible.  He could only hope that the spell would work more strongly when it was concentrated on a smaller space.  

With a satisfied smile, Fudge closed the slot window, turned the key to the small slot, and left Buffy in complete darkness, alone with the Dementor that continued to thrive on killing every piece of joy in Buffy's memories.  

-----

Quotes from: Welcome to the Hellmouth, The Harvest, Teacher's Pet, Never Kill a Boy on the First Date, Angel, Nightmares, Prophecy Girl, When She Was Bad, School Hard, Lie To Me, What's My Line II, Ted, Surprise, Innocence, Phases, Passion, Killed BY Death, Becoming II.  The pre Sunnydale quotes were basically made up cos I couldn't find my copy of the original movie…

Awww, poor girl.  *sniffs*

So…it's the night before my exam and what do I find myself doing?  Grrr. *lol* It's so damn typical that as soon as I should be doing school work I actually WANT to write.  Blah.  

So very bored…someone update so I have something to read please?!  Many thanks to everyone for your reviews and emails! You guys rock!

Toodles.

DKG.


	32. The Liberation

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: THE LIBERATION

"Let me get this straight," he began slowly, looking at Harry, Ron and Hermione incredulously.  "You want _me_ to go into _Azkaban_, to see if Buffy, who is Voldemort's daughter, is being kept there?"

Harry nodded nervously.  

Sirius Black couldn't believe what he was being told.  He knew that his godson and friends lived a far more interesting life than even the Marauders had when they'd been at Hogwarts, but this was just unbelievable.

_"_What I wish to know is why you never told me that you were _dating_ Buffy.  And why you didn't tell me, oh, I don't know…that she was Voldemort's daughter!" Sirius yelled.

Harry flinched.  He'd been meaning to tell Sirius, but had never really found a proper time to do so.  Sirius and Remus Lupin had taken off for a remote region in Tibet where Remus had been attempting to learn to control the wolf inside of him.  Sirius had gone with him as moral support, and so had been unable to contact Harry for any information after Voldemort's downfall.  Harry had assumed that Sirius had known that Buffy was related to Voldemort, considering it had been the most talked about fact in all of London, but Sirius hadn't been in London for a long time.

"I forgot," Harry replied pathetically.

Sirius rolled his eyes.

"Well…I don't envy the girl, that's for sure," Sirius said.  "No one deserves to be placed into Azkaban if they're innocent.  Especially considering how many of the Death-Eaters are going to be rather miffed that they ended up in there because of Voldemort's demise."

"I still don't believe that this plan is at all viable," Snape put in.

"Your plan wasn't exactly _viable_ either," Giles interjected angrily.   

Sirius and Giles glared at Snape angrily.  Sirius didn't understand why Snape had to be there in the first place.  

"The Ministry will never stop," Snape continued.  "What happens if, and I do use the word _if_ we even get Miss Summers out?  What then?  The Minister is not going to stop just because of a botched attempt at keeping her imprisoned."

"I bet you'd like that wouldn't you _Snivellus_," Sirius said.

Dumbledore put up a hand to calm to two enemies.  Sirius and Snape glared at each other.  Harry and Ron couldn't help but enjoy the animosity between the two men.  They knew that the could never et away with saying anything like what Sirius was saying to Snape, so watching it was almost as good.

"Gentlemen, perhaps you could both calm yourselves," Dumbledore suggested.  "This petty bickering is going to get us nowhere closer to having Miss Summers back on Hogwarts grounds."

Draco sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes tired and a headache pounding between his ears.  "I think Snape's right."

Harry and Ron turned murderous glares on Draco.   "What?!"

"I didn't say I liked it," Draco defended himself.  "But he's got a good point.  What _does_ happen when we get her back?  Fudge won't stop."

"We have to prove her innocence," Hermione stated succinctly.  "If we can do that, in front of the entire school, we've got nothing to worry about.  Fudge can't lay a hand on her if everyone knows who really was guilty."

The group thought about Hermione's statement for a moment, knowing there was truth to it.

"Perhaps we should be trying to do both," Giles suggested.  "If Sirius doesn't object, perhaps gaining an insight into the goings on at Azkaban isn't a bad idea.  The rest of us could attempt to prove that Buffy is completely innocent."

"I want to go with Sirius," Harry said firmly.

Sirius and Dumbledore were the first to protest.  "Harry, you can't," Sirius said.

"I don't believe that to be a good idea," Dumbledore said gently.  

Harry glared at his father and grandfather figures.  

"Why not?"

Sirius looked at his godson sympathetically.  He understood that Harry was worried about his girlfriend.  He could sympathise somewhat, but he didn't want Harry to put himself in an unhappy situation because of Buffy.

"Harry, do you remember what you hear when the Dementors are around?" Sirius asked gently.

Harry froze suddenly.  He'd forgotten about the Dementors.  It had been so long since he'd had to face one.  He hadn't quite equated the fact that the Dementors would make him relieve his parents deaths.  He shook his head stubbornly.

"You can't stop me," he said adamantly.

"No, we can't _stop_ you," Dumbledore agreed.  "But perhaps your efforts would be better used here."

Harry glared at the Headmaster.  

"If anyone can lure the truth out of the real guilty party, I believe it will be you Harry," Dumbledore explained.  "Chances are, if the guilty party holds Miss Summers in contempt for defeating Voldemort, it would follow that you too would be held somewhat responsible.  You may not have had a hand in killing him directly this last time, but it was you who caused Voldemort's downfall so many years ago."

Harry scowled.  He still didn't understand how he could be held responsible for such a mammoth task when he'd done nothing but sit still while Voldemort had tried to curse him.  It was his mother who was the true heroine of the story.  

"You think that I can get Zabini, Bulstrode, Crabbe and Goyle to confess?" Harry asked.

"I believe that you can, with the help of your friends," Dumbledore said, indicating Hermione, Ron and Draco.

"Well, Crabbe and Goyle will be easy enough," Ron commented.  "They're idiots."

Harry and Hermione were quick to agree, but Draco's expression turned thoughtful.

"I don't think they will be," Draco mused.  "They were put in Slytherin for a reason.  And not just because they're parents used to be in Slytherin.  They're cunning.  All of them."

"Well…what if _we_ used Polyjuice Potion again?" Ron asked.

"Again?" McGonagall repeated.

Ron suddenly flushed bright red.  Harry and Hermione shook their heads at him, surprised by Ron's lack of care.  

"We uh…pretended to be Crabbe and Goyle to try and find out who the Heir of Slytherin was," Harry explained.

Draco cast his mind back several years and the memory shifted into place.  He smirked, remembering the strange behaviour of his two friends, who had later had no memory of having stomachaches and visiting the hospital wing.  

"You produced a successful Polyjuice Potion in your second year?" Snape asked incredulously.  "I may have grossly underestimated you."

"Actually it was Hermione who did it," Ron explained, proud of his girlfriend's achievements.  Hermione flushed under the praise and Snape nodded, as though he should have known that it had been Hermione who had performed such a difficult potion.

Sirius glanced at the clock on Dumbledore's cluttered wall and clapped his hands to gain everyone's attention.  

"It's well past midnight, so…seeing as you four have classes tomorrow, we'd best wrap this up," Sirius said.

Dumbledore, McGonagall and Giles nodded their agreement.  Snape nodded, hating to agree with Sirius, but in desperate need of sleep.  The group dispersed quickly and quietly, going their separate ways when they hit the top of the stairs at the Entrance Hall.  

Harry, Ron and Hermione walked to the Gryffindor Common Room, each of them lost in thought.  They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, and Harry found himself unable to bring himself to walk through.  He looked sadly at Ron and Hermione.

"I'll see you two and breakfast," he said.

Ron went to question where Harry was going, but a sharp jab from Hermione kept him quiet.  He simply nodded and watched as Harry walked back to the staircase.  He turned back to his girlfriend, frowning deeply.

"Those two never seem to get a break," he said quietly.

Hermione nodded her agreement.  "They do seem to never get a quiet moment," she replied.  

Ron sighed and muttered the Gryffindor password.  They walked to the top of the stairs and lingered for a moment, hugging each other tightly.  While they may have envied certain aspects of Buffy and Harry's relationship, they definitely liked the calmness they always seemed to have between them.

"Love you 'Mione," Ron whispered, kissing Hermione's cheek softly.

She smiled and returned the kiss.  "Love you too Ron."

------------------------

With tears in his eyes, and too many jumbled thoughts running through his mind, Harry paced the length of the hall of the seventh floor three times.  A door appeared opposite the tapestry and Harry breathed in deeply.  He touched the knob of the door and pushed it open.  

Instead of the red themed room that he was so used to, inside the Room of Requirement, it was pitch black.  He squinted in the darkness until a single candle was suddenly lit.  Next to the candle was a photo frame and Harry felt his tears fall as he saw the photo of Buffy within the frame.  The picture moved, smiling at him softly and waving at him.  He moved towards it and reached out to touch the outline of Buffy's face.

"Why does everything always have to happen to us?" he whispered.  "Why can't we ever just be together?"

He wiped angrily at his tears and felt the intense desire to pummel something.  His wish was granted, as another flame lit up behind him, and a punching bag seemed to materialise out of thin air in front of him.  He stood and picked up the two gloves that were below it.  He hesitated a moment longer before finally unleashing his anger in a flurry of blows, kicks and punches.  

Before long, Harry was sobbing fully, but maintaining a fast rhythmical dance with the punching bag.  When all of his energy had been expended, he collapsed to the fall, curling into a ball and letting the tears cascade in what seemed to be a torrential flood of despair.

"Please, please…you have to be okay."

-----

Sorry for the delay in posting.  Things have been kinda hectis between going back home and going back to work.  Have had seriously little time to do anything at all.  *sighs* Kinda depressing really.  Ihave more time to do stuff at uni then I do when I go home on 'holidays'.  Life it seems has a funny sense of irony.

Many thanks to everyone for all of your awesomely encouraging words.

And to all those Aussies watching Idol: Guy Sebastian all the way!!

Toodles.

DKG.


	33. The Scheme

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: THE SCHEME

Harry, Ron and Hermione continued casting nervous glances at Draco as he sat nonchalantly at the Slytherin table.  Draco hadn't sat with his housemates since the day they'd 'disowned' him over a month before, and the platinum haired boy wasn't feeling too confident about sitting beside his former friends.

Crabbe and Goyle sat to his right, and Blaise and Millicent sat opposite him, the four of them casting sneering smirks in his direction.  

He and Harry had spent the better part of the previous evening reading through some of the books that Buffy had left in Giles' study room, which Draco had turned into his bedroom.  He knew that Giles didn't approve of either of the boys reading them, but Draco had needed to keep his mind off what Buffy may have been going through.  When Harry had shown up at Giles' office, he and the Gryffindor boy had spent the entire evening going over spells that they thought might help them.  

"I know why you're sitting with us," Millicent hissed at Draco angrily.  "You're here because your muggle-loving _girlfriend_ got expelled and the Gryffs don't want you over there.  You're still not welcome here Malfoy."

Draco glared at the girl, knowing that the previous year she wouldn't have had the confidence to stand up to him.  His reputation had been obliterated within Slytherin over the last two years.  But Draco found that he really didn't care one way or the other.

Before he could retort, Blaise jumped in.

"He can stay," she said.  "But only on one condition."

"And what would that be Zabini?" Draco asked.

"You have to completely sever your ties with those filthy Gryffindors," she replied.

Draco smirked.  "Already done."

"What would you do if Summers came back tomorrow?" Blaise demanded.  "Would your loyalties be divided again?"

Draco couldn't help but notice the way that Blaise was wording her sentences.  It sounded as though she was planning something more, something larger.  Something that would probably not end in the best of ways.

"My loyalties to whom?" Draco asked.

Blaise narrowed her eyes.  "To Slytherin.  To all of us.  To whomever it will be that steps up to take _his_ place."

"And whom did you have in mind for that?" he asked.

She smiled sweetly, the kind of smile that was far too innocent.  Besides which, Draco knew that Blaise Zabini was not and never could be innocent, even if it was to save her own life.

"Who did you think?" she replied.  

Draco couldn't believe what he was hearing.  He had to give Blaise points though.  She never came out to directly say that she was about o try and lead the Slytherins in some sort of reign of terror.  Her words were never explicit, only implying something that Draco wanted no part of.

"I suppose with Summers out of the picture, you've got the perfect opportunity," Draco said.  "You've got no one to fear anymore."

Blaise felt fury rise within her.  She half stood and leant across the table, her face barely an inch from Draco's.

"I am not afraid of anyone or anything.  Especially not Buffy Summers," she hissed angrily.  

Draco held back the smirk that wanted to erupt.  He knew he'd managed to get under Blaise's skin.  Before he could say anything though, Blaise took advantage of their position and grabbed a handful of Draco's robes, pulling him closer so that their lips met in a forceful kiss.  Draco was too stunned to react.

Two tables away, Ginny Weasley felt her heart shatter.

------------------------

Harry couldn't stand the waiting.  He'd watched in disbelief as Blaise had kissed Draco.  He'd never seen Draco look so shocked in his entire life.

Harry looked down the table to where Ginny Weasley sat.  He and Buffy had been keeping their eyes on the younger Gryffindor, knowing that Ginny liked Draco and that Draco's feelings were mutual.  Harry knew, judging from the heart-broken look on Ginny's face, that the young Gryffindor was devastated by the turn of events.  

He stood and quickly made his way to where Ginny sat, dropping into the seat next to her.

"Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Ginny tore her eyes away from the Slytherin table and looked at Harry, tears in her eyes.

"I don't understand," she whispered pitifully.  "Yesterday everything was fine, and then…then Buffy's cursing people and being carted off by the Ministry, and Draco's back at the Slytherin table kissing other girls who aren't me, and…and…this is all just so confusing."

Harry pulled the younger girl in for a hug, gently rubbing her back.  

"Maybe you and I should go talk somewhere private," he suggested.

Ginny looked confused, but another glance at the Slytherin table made up her mind.  Draco was smirking as though he was thoroughly enjoying himself.  Ginny held back a sob and quickly moved to follow Harry out of the Great Hall.  She completely missed the soulful silver eyes that followed her movements out of the Great Hall, eyes that silently begged her to forgive him.

------------------------

"So, Buffy wasn't Buffy?  And Draco's just trying to get Blaise and the others to confess?" Ginny said, her head spinning as she tried to get her mind around the new information.

Harry nodded his head in confirmation.  "He doesn't want to be at the Slytherin table any more than you want him over there," he assured her.

Ginny breathed a sigh of relief.  She felt as though a large weight had been lifted from her chest.  Her hope had been restored in Draco and in Buffy, and she couldn't help but smile gratefully.

She looked at the boy who had been her first crush with wide innocent eyes.

"I want to help."

Harry grinned and nodded.  "I was hoping you'd say that."

------------------------

Ginny approached the Slytherin table, her hands sweating nervously.  Draco looked at her fearfully, his eyes showing how panicked he was.  Draco shot a look to the Gryffindor table and found Harry sitting calmly with Ron and Hermione.  Harry nodded imperceptibly and Draco felt himself calm slightly.

Blaise noticed the redheaded intruder and sneered at the younger girl.

"What do you want?" she demanded.

Ginny bravely ignored Blaise and turned her attention to Draco.

"You're a liar, you know that," she said coldly.

Draco felt his heart sink.  He looked at her closely, looked again at the Gryffindor table, and then felt everything click into place.  He swallowed nervously and turned to look at Ginny, an arrogant sneer he'd perfected over the years planted firmly on his face.

"Yeah, what of it?" he asked.

"You never liked us did you?" she asked, her voice wavering.  "You never liked _me_."

Draco shrugged.  "What's your point?"

"It was all an act for you, wasn't it?  Get us to trust you, and then as soon as things get rough, you leave us to deal with it all ourselves," she accused.

Blaise looked between the Gryffindor girl and the Slytherin boy with interest.  She hadn't been expecting that the breaking of the ties between Draco and the Gryffindors would be so easy.  And if Ginny was convinced that Draco was no longer part of the Gryffindors, that was good enough for Blaise.

"Run along little girl," Blaise said snidely.  "Draco likes his girls to have maturity."

"You don't even care about what happens to Buffy, do you?" Ginny asked, still looking at Draco.

"She's my cousin, of course I care," Draco replied.  "I just don't give a toss about the rest of you." 

Ginny glared at him and shook her head sadly.  "You're an arsehole Malfoy."

Draco stood and towered above her, his eyes searching hers for any sign of fear.  He could tell that Ginny was slightly nervous, but was willing to continue their impromptu charade.

"What did you call me?" he asked, his voice low and threatening.

Harry and Ron stood, instinctively responding to the implied threat against Ginny.  Even though both boys knew that Draco would never hurt the girl, they couldn't help their reactions.  A devious smile came to Harry's lips, and he quickly raced from the Gryffindor table to where the Slytherins sat.  He approached so that he was standing behind Ginny, Draco facing him.  Draco glared at the dark-haired boy.

"If it isn't Potty, the Boy-Who-Bloody-Lived," Draco said.  

Harry smirked and reached for his wand.  Draco followed his example, and the students of the Great Hall fell into a hushed silence as they watched the two boys reach for their wands.

The Professors who knew nothing of the actual friendship between the two boys half-stood, trying to get a better understanding of the situation.  Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape and Giles watched calmly, hoping that Harry would prove himself to be the better dueller when the time came.

"I knew you were a fake Malfoy," Harry said coldly.

Draco just shrugged nonchalantly.  He pointed his wand at Harry, thankful that he wasn't trembling terribly.  He knew that they had the attention of the entire student body as well as the staff.  "What do you plan on doing about it Potty?" 

Harry smirked.  "_Expelliarmus!_" 

Draco's wand flew out of his hand, and Harry caught it deftly.  Blaise stood up, wanting to defend the newly returned Slytherin.  She knew, now that Harry and Ginny had accused Draco of abandoning ship, that Draco was back where he belonged.  She pulled out her wand and pointed it at Harry and Ginny.

Harry grabbed Ginny by the arm and pulled her to stand behind him.  He didn't want Ginny getting caught in the crossfire of any spells.

"Only morons would want you as a friend Malfoy," Harry said, glaring at the two Slytherins who stood in front of him.  

Blaise's eyes narrowed.  She didn't appreciate being referred to as a moron.

"_Rictusempra!_" Harry doubled over and forced himself to laugh uncontrollably.  Ginny, thinking that the spell had hit him properly quickly cast a counter-curse with her own wand.  Harry straightened, but Blaise was quicker, getting out another spell.  "_Fernunculus!"_

Harry ducked the spell, and Ginny was lucky to have the spell shoot past her by barely an inch.  Before moving to get up, Harry directed his wand at the four House tables.  "_Silencio!_"  The entire hall went completely silent, except for her, Ginny, Draco and Blaise.

Draco pulled the sleeve of his cloak up to reveal writing on his forearm.  He twisted his arm slightly to be able to read it, muttering beneath his breath and he threw a combination of herbs over Blaise.  Blaise stumbled suddenly and looked around her surroundings with confusion.

Harry and Ginny were still in front of her and Draco was still behind her, but they were no longer in the Great Hall.  They were in the Entrance Hall with no one watching except themselves.  

"What the hell…" Blaise muttered.  

To Harry, Ginny and Draco however, they were still exactly where'd they'd been.  Draco's spell had altered Blaise's perception of reality, making her see a completely different room.  Draco was just grateful that everyone in the hall was completely silent thanks to Harry's spell.  

Harry looked at Blaise a smirk that resembled Draco's planted on his face.

"Is that the best you've got?" he taunted, taking Blaise's mind off the sudden switch in locations.  "You're a Slytherin.  Surely you can do better than that."

Draco leant forward to whisper into Blaise's ear.  "Make it painful."

Blaise smirked and pointed her wand at Harry.  She let the darkness swirl up inside her, she let her anger and self-righteous indignation rise and take hold of her.  Ever since Potter and Summers had defeated Voldemort, she'd been forced to live with her most distant cousins who were muggles.  She'd been forced out of her mansion and had had to rely on muggle ways instead of on magic.  And for that, she truly hated Harry Potter and Buffy Summers.

She let her anger take hold of her.  She could only see red, and that anger was what pushed her next curse.

"_Crucio!_" 

Harry grinned with success and let the spell hit his chest full force.  He didn't even flinch.  Blaise snapped out of her furious haze and stared in shock at the smirking Gryffindor boy.

"How?" she demanded.

Draco stepped forward and quickly took Blaise's wand from her hands, throwing it to Harry.  

"Buffy told you not to mess with people the Ministry were afraid of," Draco said.  "But you chose to ignore her warning."

Blaise felt everything spinning wildly out of her control.  And that was something she definitely did not like at all.

"How?!" she yelled angrily.

"Wiccan protection spells," Harry replied.  "Something that Buffy taught herself last year.  A little light reading last night.  I figured if they stopped the Killing Curse from killing Buffy, they'd stop the Cruciatus from doing too much damage."

Blaise turned to look at Draco, lunging to grab her wand.  Draco however was faster, his years as a Seeker letting him see her quick movements.  He threw the wand above Blaise's head, and Harry caught it easily.  Hrry then pointed his own wand at the House tables again.  "_Finite Incantatem."_ The silencing charm was lifted completely. 

Draco reached into his cloak and pulled out a pouch of herbs and threw them at Blaise who instinctively closed her eyes.  When her eyes opened, she gasped, suddenly finding herself in the Great Hall once more.

"Let's just make this simple," Harry said loudly, the entire Hall still looking at the two Slytherins and two Gryffindors who stood beside the Slytherin table.  "Vincent Crabbe wasn't hit by the Cruciatus Curse yesterday."

Gasps and general exclamations of surprise echoed throughout the Hall.

"And the person who directed the spell that _didn't_ hit Crabbe, wasn't Buffy Summers," Harry continued.

"But we saw it!" came a yell from the Ravenclaw table.

"You can't always believe everything you see," Draco said.  

Draco noticed the bulge in Blaise's cloak and, on a hunch, he reached into the girls pocket and removed a flask.  Blaise tried to grab it from him, but Harry stepped forward to restrain her.  She struggled against him, but Harry was far stronger than she was.  Draco unscrewed the lid of the flask and sniffed the potion.

"I'm no expert, but I'd say that this is Polyjuice Potion," he announced.  He turned to Ginny and handed her the flask.  He winked and grinned at her.  "Maybe we could get Professor Snape's opinion."

Ginny smiled and felt her heart flutter when their fingers touched as she took the flask from him.  She walked up to the Professors table, her face burning bright red as every student watched her.  She handed the flask to Professor Snape who poured some of it into a glass goblet.  The students looked curiously at the lilac coloured potion.

Professor Snape nodded.  "Polyjuice Potion.  Well spotted Mr Malfoy."

Blaise looked angrily at Draco.  "You set me up!  You bastard!"

Draco smirked and looked to Harry, grabbing Blaise so that Harry's hands were free. 

"Potter…maybe you could work your magic and prove that it was Blaise's wand that 'cursed' Crabbe yesterday," Draco said.

Harry smirked and nodded, aiming his wand at Blaise's.  Harry couldn't help but notice that Draco had been spending far too much time with Buffy.  He seemed to be picking up some of her phrases.

"_Priori Incantatum._"

The entire Hall watched as the wand let out echoes of Blaise's spells.  

"_Crucio!"_  "_Furnunculus!"_  "_Rictusempra!"_  "_Crucio!"_  "_Stupefy!"  "Impedimenta!"  "Stupefy!"_

Draco winced at the three Stunning Spells that emerged.  He knew that they were the three that had hit him.  Harry broke off the spell and looked up towards the Professor's table in satisfaction.

"I believe we all heard the Cruciatus Curse come from Blaise Zabini's wand," he said.

The students began murmuring amongst themselves as Blaise struggled to free herself from Draco's grip.  

Many of the Gryffindor students seemed to breath sighs of relief, realising that Buffy had been completely innocent.  Glenn Wood grinned with delight.  Up at the Professors table, Oliver Wood couldn't help but feel a combination of disappointment and elation.  When he'd heard about Buffy's use of the Cruciatus Curse he'd been horrified.  Knowing that she was innocent was a huge weight off his mind.  However, the flip side of that didn't sit too well with him either.  The girl he'd kissed the day before hadn't been Buffy.  She hadn't broken up with Harry, and Oliver didn't know whether that was good or bad.  He sighed and watched the other Professor's approach the Slytherin table.

"Miss Zabini, do you admit to being the true perpetrator of yesterdays events in the Entrance Hall?" Dumbledore asked.  

"Maybe Summers stole my wand," Blaise retorted.

  
Draco tightened his grip and Blaise squirmed uncomfortably.

"We all know you're a liar," Draco whispered harshly into her ear.  "Why not just 'fess up?"

Harry smirked.  Definitely too much time around Buffy.

Blaise defiantly stayed tight-lipped.  Harry pointed his wand at her and Blaise glared at the black-haired youth.

"She deserved it!" Blaise yelled.  

"How exactly did my girlfriend deserve to be framed for using an Unforgivable?" Harry cried angrily.

"She ruined my life!  She ruined all our lives!  Voldemort was going to save us!" she yelled.   "And she ruined it!  So I ruined her life."

The Great Hall went silent once more and Dumbledore stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"Miss Zabini, I regret to inform you that you are no longer welcome within Hogwarts grounds," Dumbledore said quietly.  The Headmaster didn't ever enjoy expelling any of his students, but the safety of all of the other teenagers far outweighed him being uncomfortable.

Blaise's eyes narrowed, and she struggled even harder against Draco.  Draco tightened his grip, but Blaise wouldn't stop.

"What about Crabbe, Goyle and Bulstrode, huh?" Blaise yelled.  The three Slytherin teens in question all looked at Blaise in shock.  They hadn't expected her to take them down with her.

"What?"  "We never-"  "But, we didn't-"

The three Slytherins sputtered for an explanation.  

"They will be on probation," Dumbledore replied calmly.

Crabbe, Goyle and Millicent Bulstrode went from looking outraged to being incredibly relieved.  They had no desire to be expelled from Hogwarts.

"Perhaps, we should relocate this to my office," Dumbledore suggested.  "Miss Zabini, Miss Bulstrode, Miss Granger, Misters Potter, Malfoy, Weasley, Crabbe and Goyle, if you would kindly follow me."

Crabbe, Goyle and Millicent all stood reluctantly, while Draco practically dragged Blaise with him.  Harry, Ron and Hermione were only too happy to oblige the Headmaster.  As the doors of the Great Hall closed behind them, once more the loud outbursts of the students rang throughout the halls of the school.

-----

Mega thanks to John for pointing out where I want horribly wrong in this chapter.  Hopefully it kinda reads a little bit better than it did.  Poor Blaise…she's so damn evil in this story.  Who misses fluffy Blaise from WYD?  

As always, many thanks to everyone for yoru reviews and emails about this little saga of mine.  I love hearing from each of yaz.  You guys rock!

Toodles.

Kattie. 


	34. The Escape

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: THE ESCAPE

Buffy found herself drowning in her memories, forced to relive the most terrible things she'd ever been put through.  For any average seventeen year old, whilst there may have been pain and hurt, it usually wasn't anything like what Buffy had gone through, and the Dementor couldn't have been more thrilled.  It was feeding off her joyous memories, leaving her with only the harshest times of her life.

She whimpered pitifully and curled herself more tightly into a ball in the comer of the room.  Her fist pounded against the cool concrete and she hit her head several times, trying to clear her mind.  Nothing seemed to work.  On and on the memories plagued her, never resting for a moment as the darkness trickled through her.

Tears ran down her face, and she could barely breath, the pain in her chest feeling like a thousand knives stabbing her heart over and over again.

A sudden thought ran through Buffy's mind, a thought she'd had again and again over the last few months.  She wanted her strength back.  She wanted to be able to stand up and defeat the Dementor that tormented her thoughts.  She wanted to force her way out of the room.  But she wasn't the Slayer anymore.  She wasn't strong.  She was just Buffy.

Angelus' taunting voice came back to haunt her once again.

_"No weapons."  _She wasn't the Slayer.  _"No friends." _ Her friends had no clue where she was.  _"No hope."_  And there was no way out.  

"Take all that away…" 

She slammed her hand against the wall, trying to ground herself with physical pain.  It didn't seem to work.

"Take all that away…" 

It felt as though her energy as well as all of her hope and happiness had been sucked away.  She slumped back, too tired to fight.

"And what's left?" 

Nothing.  There was nothing left.  _"I've got nothing left to lose."_ And with that one thought, her mind cleared completely.  "_Wrong kid…you've got one more thing_."  Her sobs stopped, and the weight on her chest seemed to lift.

_"What's left?" _Angelus' taunted her.

Buffy swallowed hard and her eyes snapped open.  

"Me."

Pushing past the pain, fear and horror that was her past, Buffy forced her mind to focus on the present and future.  She was locked in a room with a Dementor.  That was her first problem, one that could be solved.  She just didn't know how.  Without her Slayer strength and without her wand, she didn't quite know what to do.  

She forced herself to concentrate, casting her mind back to the months she had spent learning Wiccan magic.  She couldn't draw on her internal magic, but that didn't mean that she couldn't draw on her outside sources.  She could feel the darkness of the Dementor's magic.  She could feel the barrier spell surrounding the room and knew instinctively that all she needed to do was make it even one foot outside the door.  

She pushed herself to stand, holding onto the walls to support her shaking legs.  She felt the Dementor move towards her, and with her eyes closed, she extended all of her other senses, trying to feel the creature as Giles had taught her to do both when she'd been the Slayer, and after she'd been stripped of her powers.  

Buffy felt the creature lift a hand towards her, and in that moment, Buffy shoved her hand up to meet it, placing her palm flat against the creatures chest.  It shrieked in rage and pain as Buffy drew power from the creature itself, stealing the Dementors darkness and turning it into her own.  She struggled to maintain a balance between the light and dark, and knew that she needed to act quickly to dispel the power she'd just taken into herself.  

She forced herself to focus purely on the Dementor, her anger, fear, rage and the new darkness inside herself all being projected onto the black cloaked creature.  The Dementor stumbled back under the barrage of emotions, and Buffy clapped her hands together.

"_Discede!_"

Had Buffy's vision been better in the darkness, she would have watched the Dementor disappear in a cloud of dust.  Buffy breathed a sigh of relief and felt the room return to a normal temperature.  Her heart began beating more easily, and her breathing returned to normal.  She pulled herself together, wiping the tears from her eyes.  She took a deep breath and focused her energies on apparating.  Nothing.  

"Shit."

She felt her way around the walls to the slot in the door.  She tried searching for a handle, but found that the room was sealed completely except for the small slot where the door should have been.  It felt as though the door had completely sealed itself, making it part of the walls.  There didn't even seem to be hinges for the door to swing open on.

Buffy could feel the lock on the slot though, and knew that her best chance was to unlock the slot in the door.  Even then, what she had planned after that may not have worked.  She could only pray that she was strong enough to pull it off.

She sighed tiredly and knelt down, thankful that Giles had taught her the skill of lock picking so long ago.  Pulling a pin from her hair, she expertly jimmied the lock, and opened the small slot.  The hole was barely an two inches high and three inches wide.   

All she could do now was pray that she was good enough.

She stood quickly, but felt her knees buckle beneath her.  Tears welled in her eyes at the sheer effort she needed just to stand.  She braced her hands against the wall, taking deep breaths, trying to calm herself down.  She'd never tried this before, and attempting things under duress was never good.  Fortunately for Buffy though, that was how she'd learned to do most things.  Jumping into the deep end of the pool so to speak.

She exhaled softly.  "Well, at least I know I won't be sent to Azkaban for this," she muttered.

And with that, she sent her senses searching inward, tapping into her well of power that lay within her.  She felt everything shift within her as her hands and arms disappeared, her legs joined together, and every part of her became stick thin.  

The previously sleeping guard outside Buffy's door yelped in fear as a black serpent slithered out of the slotted window of the room.  The snake hissed at him angrily, it's hazel eyes full of fire and anger.  The guard stepped backwards, completely terrified, not knowing how a snake had come to be inside the room.  

The guard had always prided himself on following his gut.  His gut told him to run.  He did.

Had he looked back, he would have seen the snake transform back into the small figure of Buffy Summers, tired and panting with exhaustion.  She knew she had very little time to escape from the Ministry building.  All she knew was that she was exhausted and that she needed somewhere to go.  Somewhere the Ministry wouldn't find her.  Maybe even somewhere that her Hogwarts friends wouldn't find her.

She closed her eyes and focussed her thoughts on the one person she'd always been able to count on.  The first person who had ever stayed by her side voluntarily.  And with those thoughts in mind, she drew on the very last of her strength and apparated away from the Ministry building, collapsing in a heap on the floor of a familiar living room, her body trembling with exhaustion at the effort it had cost her to get away.  

She let herself sink into the darkness that had been beckoning to her for the last several hours, retreating into her mind and refusing to allow herself to wake up to the horrors of the world, fearing that she was still within the confines of the Ministry.  Darkness fell upon her, and she passed out, her body still trembling as her temperature began to sky-rocket. 

The brunette girl walking out of the kitchen towards the living room stopped dead in her tracks and looked on in shock.  She could only wonder who the small blonde girl was and how she'd managed to end up in the apartment.

-----

Ooo mysteries.  Where did Buffy go and who is this mysterious brunette girl?  


	35. The News

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: THE NEWS

Sirius, Snape, Giles, Dumbledore, McGonagall, Harry, Draco, Ron and Hermione stood on the front lawn of Hogwarts, the nine of them forming a circle as thy listened to Sirius' tale.  

"Well, we didn't believe that she would be being kept at Azkaban," Dumbledore said.  "Perhaps somewhere within the Ministry."

"Wherever she's being kept, I'm fairly certain that there's at least one Dementor with her," Sirius said.  "I heard the main guards talking about Fudge requisitioning a personal bodyguard of a Dementor for some reason.  I'd bet on Snape's life that it was for Buffy."

Snape glared at Sirius, but refused to rise to the bait.  

"Aren't there any people at the Ministry who'd be able to find out for sure?" Harry asked.

"What about my dad?" Ron suggested.

Dumbledore nodded.  "I've already been in contact with several Ministry members.  I'm expecting a reply within the hour."

Harry sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  He didn't want to wait for that long.  An hour seemed like far too much time to spend waiting to hear what the Minister of Magic had done to his girlfriend.

He opened his mouth to complain, but was stopped when he heard the hooting of an owl making its descent towards the group.  He sighed with relief and watched as the bird dropped a letter into Dumbledore's waiting hands.  The Headmaster read the note, oblivious to the anxious stares of the eight other members of the circle.  

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed and he looked up at the group.

"It seems that Miss Summers is no longer in need of rescuing," he said, a smile curling onto his lips.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco quickly burst into a round of questions.

"What?"  "Why not?"  "She escaped?"  "Brilliant!"  "But how?"  "Where is she?" 

Dumbledore held up his hand.

"She is no longer on Ministry grounds.  I can only guess that she apparated," Dumbledore explained.

The Headmaster had been about to suggest to the four students that they should go and check the Gryffindor Tower, but before he could even begin his suggestion, the four students were already racing back up the stairs and into the school grounds.

When they reached the top of the marble stairs in the Entrance Hall they split into two groups.  Ron and Hermione raced towards the Gryffindor Tower while Draco and Harry continued up the stairs towards the seventh floor.  Harry quickly paced the length of the floor three times and prayed to find what he wanted inside the Room of Requirement.  The door shimmered into existence, and he and Draco burst into the room.

Draco left out a soft whistle at the sight in front of him.  It was Harry and Buffy's private room that they'd constructed the first evening they'd found the room.  But there was no sign of Buffy whatsoever.  Harry slammed his hand against the wall, punching a hole through the drywall.  He swore violently and tore his fist away from the hole.  Draco watched in amazement as the hole fixed itself within seconds.

"Maybe Weasley and Granger have had better luck," Draco said.

Harry could only nod and take a deep breath.  The two boys quickly ran towards the Gryffindor Tower, but were met by Ron and Hermione halfway there.

"Did you find her?" Harry asked at the same time as Hermione.

As they realised their twin questions, they knew that they had their answer.

"She's not here," Harry said sadly.

"Maybe there's somewhere else she would have gone," Draco suggested.

"The Quidditch Pitch maybe," Harry replied, shaking his head even as he suggested it.  "The library.  Maybe the hospital wing if she was really hurt.  But she hates hospitals so, that's a bit of a long shot.  But then again-"

"Harry, you're babbling," Hermione said.

Harry closed his mouth and blinked back tears. 

The four teens despondently made their way back down the stairs, surprised to see the four Professors and Sirius still outside on the front lawn in a smaller circle.  They walked out to them, and watched as Giles' face fell in disappointment when the DADA Professor realised that Buffy wasn't with them.

"No luck I take it," Sirius observed.

Harry shook his head.

"She's not up in the Gryffindor Tower, she's not in our room, and we have no idea where else she would have gone," Harry replied.

"Perhaps she didn't come back to Hogwarts," McGonagall suggested.  "She's aware that the Ministry is capable of finding her here, perhaps she would have gone where she felt safe."

"That's feasible," Dumbledore said.  The Headmaster turned to look at Giles.  "Could she have perhaps gone back to Sunnydale?" 

Giles looked completely surprised by the question.  He hadn't given Sunnydale much thought in a while.  He knew that ever since Joyce Summers had had her memories reversed, Buffy hadn't thought of Sunnydale as home.  

"I very much doubt it," Giles replied.  "Perhaps someone should be in contact with Sara."

"Who?" Sirius asked.

"Sara Lanstone," Giles explained.  "Her mother."

Sirius cast his mind back to his Hogwarts days and found the face that he knew belonged to Sara Lanstone.  He knew that the girl had been in Slytherin, and now that he thought about it, he could definitely see the resemblance between Buffy and Sara.  

"I don't think she'd go somewhere so obvious," Hermione said.  "Especially not to someone who can't protect her."

"Couldn't we use her owl to track her," Draco suggested.  "Those birds always seem to be able to find their owners."

"Willow," Hermione said softly, thinking of the red-plumaged owl that usually resided in their room.  She suddenly looked up at the group, a smile on her face.  "That's where she is!"

"I'm fairly certain I've missed something somewhere," Sirius said in confusion.

Harry began grinning as well.  He could have kissed Hermione had he not been completely devoted to Buffy, or fairly certain that Ron would have decked him for it.

"She's at Willow's!" Harry yelled.  "Of course.  Willow's is the one place the Ministry would never think to look for her.  I doubt they even know that she exists."

Giles mouth curled into a smile, thankful that the sixth-year students were far smarter than they were ever given credit for.  His face fell suddenly when he realised something.

"Do we even have Willow's address?" Giles asked.

Harry, Hermione and Draco all shook their heads.  Ron just shrugged.  He didn't know Willow that well.  Hermione sighed. Wondering where they would be able to get Willow's address.  It wasn't as though Willow had been very close to any other Hogwarts students…

"Tara!" Hermione cried.

"Huh?" Ron asked, dumbfounded by the sudden outburst from his girlfriend.

"Tara.  Willow gave Tara her address so they could write to each other," Hermione exclaimed with excitement.

------------------------

She stood in shock staring at the blonde figure who had somehow ended up in the apartment.  She placed her can of soda on the table and crouched down beside the small girl, rolling her onto her back, checking her for injuries.  The only visible injury was a bruise to the face, and the fact that she was cold as ice.

"Oi, you may wanna get in here," she called loudly.

She waited and heard footsteps running towards the living room.  She turned back to look at the injured girl, but timed the redheads response precisely.  The dead-stop, followed by a shocked gasp, followed by a quick lunge towards the injured girl.  

"Buffy!"

She hadn't been expecting that though.

Willow knelt beside her injured friend, hastily checking Buffy's pulse, breathing a sigh of relief when she felt the strong fluttering beneath her fingers.

"Faith, help me get her on the couch," Willow instructed.

Faith nodded, not really understanding what had just happened.  She grabbed Buffy under her arms and helped Willow carry her to the couch.  Willow gently placed a cushion beneath Buffy's head and raced into the bedroom to grab a quilt from the bed.  She tucked it around Buffy, ensuring that she was completely covered.

Faith looked down at Buffy's shivering form in shock.  From all of Willow and Xander's stories about the blonde girl, Faith had been expecting to meet an invincible warrior type.  The fragile girl lying on the couch was not the person she'd secretly had to compete with during her time in Sunnydale.

"That's Buffy?" Faith asked.

Willow nodded distractedly.

"Goddess, I wonder what happened to her," Willow whispered.  

"She doesn't look too hurt," Faith offered.  She genuinely liked the redheaded Californian girl, and she didn't particularly like Willow to be worried about anything.  Seeing her so frazzled like this was making Faith a little uncomfortable.  "Just the one bruise."

"She's never just shown up like this before," Willow replied.

"Yeah, about that…how did she just show up?" Faith asked.

"She's a witch.  She uh…apparated I think it's called," Willow explained.  

"A witch…I thought she was a Slayer," Faith said in confusion.

Willow shook her head.  Trying to explain everything to Faith was distracting her from worrying too much about Buffy and she couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.  

"It was just a spell to make her as strong as a Slayer," Willow explained.  "But the bigwig magic people took her strength from her.  She's still fairly strong…I mean three years of martial arts training is bound to have some impact on her, but…she's not Slayer strong or anything."

"So…should we call someone?" Faith asked.  

Willow shook her head, frowning.  She didn't know how to get in contact with the wizarding world without Buffy contacting her first.  

"They don't have phones at the school," Willow explained.  "And without her owl, I can't send a letter there."

"An owl?" Faith repeated, sounding completely sceptical.  

Willow nodded.  Faith just shrugged, not really understanding any of what Willow had just said to her.  She supposed that it was possible.  She'd seen a lot of strange things during her time as the Slayer.  Witches with owls was completely feasible.

The silence was broken by a gentle tapping on the window sill.  Faith looked over her shoulder and her jaw dropped in shock.  She walked to the window an opened it.

"Owls, huh?" she asked as a small orangey-red bird entered the room.

"Willow!" Willow cried.

Faith looked at the redhead, wondering if she'd finally cracked.  It took her a moment to work out that Willow was addressing the bird and not just talking to herself.

Willow detached the letter from the birds leg and read through it quickly.

"What's it say?" Faith asked.

Owls delivering mail…she didn't know what the world would think of next.

Willow smiled widely.  "Giles and the others have been looking for Buffy," she explained.  "One of Buffy's friends figured out that she might have been here.  They got my address off Tara."

Willow moved to her desk to grab a pen and paper, writing her response frantically.  

"Tara?" Faith repeated.  "_The _Tara?  Famous Tara who you don't shut up about?"

Willow blushed fiercely and nodded.  She and Tara had exchanged over a dozen letters in the last months.  Willow still had an unopened letter from the previous day that she hadn't been able to read because of Faith's impromptu arrival in London and consequent need of a place to stay for a few days.  Willow had put the letter aside, hoping that it hadn't contained any vital information.

"He said something about Buffy needing some place safe to hide while the Ministry is looking for her," Willow explained.

"Looking for her?" Faith repeated.  "What'd she do?"

Willow shrugged.  "It doesn't say.  Just that she's innocent and that if she turns up, I'm to contact them."

Willow finished writing her letter and attached it to the owl's leg.  

"Take this back to Giles okay, Willow," the redhead said.  She always found it strange calling a bird by her name, but she understood that Buffy had meant it in the best of ways.

The owl hooted softly and flew out the window.  

"Just when I thought I'd seen everything," Faith commented.

Willow smirked and moved back to Buffy's side.  She placed a gentle hand against the small girl's forehead.  Buffy moaned as though in pain.  

"No weapons…"

Willow turned to look at Buffy, expecting her to be awake.  But Buffy's eyes were still closed, scrunched up tight as though either in deep concentration, or in pain.  Willow hoped it wasn't the latter.

"What's left?" Buffy whispered quietly.

Willow's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.  "What's left?  What's left in what?"

"Me," Buffy continued.

Faith looked at the two girls, unsure of what to do.  She'd never met Buffy before, and she didn't want to intrude on Willow trying to take care of the younger girl.  There was something so startling vulnerable about the blonde girl that Faith couldn't help but want to try and protect her.  If Buffy needed a safe place to hide, what place was safer than an apartment with a Vampire Slayer?  She took a seat on the single sofa across from the two girls and protectively watched them.

"Buffy, you're not making any sense," Willow whispered.

"No friends…"

"Buffy, you've got friends," Willow whispered, tears appearing in her eyes.  Whatever had reduced Buffy to this must have been bad.  "You have people who love you.  Me and Xand…Giles, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Drake…all of them.  You just have to wake up."

"No hope…"

Willow turned to look at Faith, desperate for some sort of answer.  Faith could only shrug, equally as hopeless. 

"You know her better than me Red," Faith said gently.  "I don't know squat about the magic gig."

"Magic," Willow repeated, latching onto the word for dear life.  

"You said she was a witch," Faith said, wondering why Willow had gone into an almost trance.

Willow snapped out of her thoughts and nodded.  

"Yeah.  She is.  And…well, I do know a ritual to uh…help her snap out of it, but I'm no where near powerful enough for it.  I'd end up killing us both," Willow said.

"Well…what about that school you mentioned?  And Giles?" Faith asked.

Willow sighed and cast a concerned glance at Buffy who mumbled another phrase under breath.  "Take all that away…"

"We'll have to wait," Willow said despondently.  "But…I don't know if leaving her like this will do her any good."

"Well…is it gonna be better to wait for someone with the power to do the funky mojo, and risk being late, or risk killing you and her as well?" Faith questioned.

Willow sighed, knowing that Faith's logic was right.  "I hate it when I'm wrong," Willow said.

Faith smirked and fiddled with one of the silver rings on her hand.  Before she'd met Willow she hadn't had any real friends.  It was strange to find someone who had wanted nothing from her.  Most people either wanted her body, or they wanted her help.  Willow had been content with nothing, and that had thrown Faith off balance.  Willow wanted nothing more than friendship from her.  And for the first time in her life, Faith had found someone that she knew she could trust.  

"She'll be okay Red," Faith assured her friend.  "Everything you've ever told me about her, well…she sounds like a fighter.  No way is she gonna let a little thing like being a renegade get her down."

Willow nodded again and swallowed her tears.  Buffy was going to be fine.  She had to be.

-----

Ooo, updates.  Hurrah.  *grins* Many thanks for all your feedback, you guys seriously ROCK!  
Toodles.

K.


	36. The Ritual

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: THE RITUAL

Giles, Sirius, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco were on their way to Hogsmeade, knowing they needed to be off Hogwarts grounds for any of the adults to apparate.  Sirius was only going along to speed up the apparitions into muggle London.  He wouldn't be staying once they'd arrived.

Harry was fidgeting nervously the entire time.  On the one hand, he was grateful that his girlfriend had been found, and that she was alive.  On the other hand, Willow's note had been somewhat frantic.  Saying something about Buffy being basically unconscious.  That was never something Harry wanted to hear about Buffy.

"She'll be alright mate," Ron assured him.  "She has to be."

Harry nodded, still unable to keep himself calm.  When the train pulled into Hogsmeade station, he nearly began cheering.  The six passengers got off the train and stood on the platform.

"Harry and Draco can go over first," Giles decided.  

The two boys didn't argue.  Harry moved to his godfather's side, and Giles clapped a hand on Draco's shoulder.  With a loud crack, the four of them disapparated, leaving Hermione and Ron standing by themselves.

------------------------

Faith jumped, completely startled, when she heard a loud crack behind her.  Within the blink of an eye, she was out of her chair and standing in a defensive position in front of Willow and Buffy.  Her stake was drawn and she could easily see a crossbow in reaching distance if she needed it.

Faith stared at the four people in Willow's living room, about to demand that they explain themselves.  Willow's loud exclamation stopped her.

"Giles!"

Giles, Harry and Draco raced to where Buffy lay on the couch.  Harry felt tears sting his eyes.  He hadn't really noticed the bruise on Buffy's face before, but he knew that it was from either Crabbe or Goyle.  

"Did she say what happened?" Giles asked.

Willow shook her head, letting her tears finally fall, thankful that she had someone else to lean on for strength.

"She was already unconscious when Faith found her," Willow explained.

"Faith?" Giles asked.

Faith stepped forward and Giles looked at the brunette girl carefully.

"She's the new Slayer," Willow explained.

Giles' eyes lit up with sudden understanding.  

Draco looked at the girl with interest.  "You're a Slayer?" 

Faith nodded.  She couldn't help but be disappointed that the hottie blonde boy was far too young for her.  

Sirius stepped forward and knelt beside Buffy.  He placed a hand to the girls forehead and sighed softly.

"She was locked in with a Dementor," he explained.  He gently lifted one of her eyelids, unsurprised to see Buffy's eyes completely blank of all emotion.  "And I'm guessing that with a father like Voldemort, her memories aren't going to be the best.  That Dementor probably did a lot of damage."

"What's a Dementor?" Willow asked in confusion.

"It's a terribly dark magical creature.  It depletes a person of all their joy and all their happiness.  It leaves them with nothing but their darkest and worst memories," Giles explained.

Willow winced, knowing that a lot of Buffy's memories hadn't been the happiest.  

"I saw a lot of people at Azkaban go into a coma-like state when they were locked in with a Dementor," Sirius said.  "They lock themselves inside their minds, trying to escape the bad memories.  It just makes it worse."

"She keeps muttering something.  Something about having no weapons, no friends, no hope…asking what's left," Willow said.

Giles looked to Harry and Draco, but both boys just shrugged.  The phrase didn't mean anything to them.  Giles stood, reluctant to leave Buffy now that she was in front of him and so obviously in need of help.

"Sirius, we need to go back for Hermione and Ron," Giles said.

Sirius hesitated.  He knew how horrible being trapped with a Dementor was from his own experience.  The worse memories that someone had in life, the more horrible the experience, and a seventeen year old had no hope of combating the mental effects that Dementors had.  He still had nightmares about his time at Azkaban.

Sirius stood and the two men apparated out of the room.

"Okay, that's two weird ass things I've seen today," Faith muttered.

Harry knelt next to Buffy gently stroking her hair and whispering to her.  "Buffy, wake up.  Please…c'mon baby, open your eyes."

Willow felt her heart break for her best friends boyfriend.  

Another loud crack startled Willow and Faith.  Draco and Harry barely flinched.  Ron and Hermione looked at their fiends worriedly.  Hermione raced to Buffy's side, placing a comforting hand on Harry's shoulder as she looked down at Buffy.

"How is she?" Hermione asked.

Harry shook his head sadly.  "Unconscious.  Sirius reckons she's locked herself inside her mind."

Hermione frowned, worried for her friend.  She leant forward when she heard Buffy mutter something under her breath.

"No weapons…"

"She keeps saying that," Willow said with frustration.

Hermione looked at the redheaded girl.  "Has she said anything else?"

"Yeah.  Something about no weapons, no friends and no hope.  Then she asks what's left.  She, uh…she replied-"

"Me," Hermione finished.

Everyone turned to look at the brunette girl incredulously.  She blushed fiercely, not particularly liking everyone's attention on her.

"How do you know that?" Harry asked.  

"When Buffy fought Angelus…he told her that she had nothing left," Hermione explained.

"No weapons, no friends, no hope," Willow said, suddenly understanding the phrase.

Hermione nodded.  "He asked her what was left after that."

"Her," Harry whispered.  He felt a sudden swell of immense pride for his girlfriend.  He knew from speaking to her that Buffy had been horrified by the turn of events in her relationship with Angel.  Hearing that she'd mustered up the strength and courage to fight back even when it seemed like she had nothing to fight for made him respect Buffy even more.

"Harsh," Faith whispered.  She'd heard the tale of Buffy and Angel, and had initially been horrified by finding out about a Slayer dating a Vampire.  But when she'd heard about the soul and the curse, she'd felt sympathy for the girl.

"So how do bloody well fix it?" Draco asked impatiently.

"I think I can answer that one," Willow spoke up.  "There's a ritual, but…I'm no where near strong enough to do it."

"I'll do it then," Harry volunteered, not even hesitating a moment.

Sirius looked at his godson, worried about Harry's sense of judgement.

"Harry-"

"No.  I'm doing this," Harry said adamantly.  "I…she'd do the same for me."

No one could dispute that fact.  They were fairly certain that Buffy would have done just about anything for any one of them, and they couldn't deny Harry the chance to get his girlfriend back.  

Willow looked to Giles for final judgement.  The Professor removed his glasses and nodded, bringing out a handkerchief to clean the lenses of his spectacles.  

Willow moved to her bookcase and found the book with the ritual she'd been telling Faith about.  She opened it to the right page and handed the text to Harry.  He read over it and committed it to memory.  It wasn't a particularly hard ritual, and he knew that he wanted to be the one to do it.

"I'll need most of you lot to clear out," Harry said, looking regretfully at his friends.

Ron and Hermione hesitated, but eventually nodded.  Draco scowled, wanting to watch whatever was about to happen to his cousin.  Before he could protest though, Giles clapped a hand on the boys shoulder and steered him out of the living room.  Sirius followed Ron and Hermione.  Willow hesitated, but eventually gestured for Faith to leave with her.  

Harry breathed a sigh of relief, grateful for the privacy that he finally had with his girlfriend.  He pressed a gentle kiss to his girlfriend's forehead and stood up.  He gently sat Buffy up on the couch and moved to sit beside her, linking both of his hands with hers.

He closed his eyes and willed himself into a trance, concentrating on feeling his power and reaching out into Buffy to find the core of her powers.  He felt a sudden jolt and was shocked by the strength that he found within Buffy.  He swallowed hard and continued on, breathing deeply.

He hit a well of darkness and his eyes snapped open.  Instead of being in Willow's living room though, he was in a cold room with concrete walls.  He took a look at his surroundings and easily found Buffy in the next room, scurrying backwards from a figure that was advancing towards her.  Harry didn't even think, he just reacted.  He raced towards them, wanting to help his girlfriend, unsure of who she was fighting, but needing to help her.

He went to grab Buffy's attackers arm, but he grabbed onto absolutely nothing.  He tried again, but his hand went straight through the man's arm.  He stepped back and looked at the dark-haired man in leather pants and the black silk shirt who stood with a sword dangling lazily in his hand, pointed at Buffy's friends.

"So that's everything then," the man said casually.  "No weapons, no friends, no hope.  Take all that away and what's left?"

Harry yelled out in shock as he lunged towards Buffy with the sword, but to his compete shock, Buffy's hands came up to clap the swords between her palms and opened her eyes, completely calm and determined.

"Me."

She leapt up, grabbing hold of her fallen sword and lunging at her attacker.  Harry could only watch helplessly as the fight continued until the dark man was forced to his knees.  Harry didn't understand what was happening, but as soon as the man gasped for breath and looked up at Buffy with confused and loving eyes, Harry put all of the pieces together.

"Angel," the wizard whispered, simultaneous to Buffy's whispered question of the vampire's name.

Harry had never thought too much about Buffy's relationship with Angel.  He'd known that they'd dated, that she'd slept with him and that she'd loved him greatly.  He knew that she'd had to kill him.  But he'd never _known_ what it had meant.  Understanding the words had never allowed him to understand everything behind it.  Buffy had _killed_ the man that she loved to save the world.

He watched as Buffy kissed another man, but instead of jealousy, he felt only profound heartache for his girlfriend.  Tears welled in his eyes as he watched Buffy step back and plunge the sword into Angel.  He swallowed hard and moved towards her.

"Buffy," he whispered quietly.

She turned to look at him, but Harry knew she didn't quite understand why he was there.

"Harry," she whispered.

The scene changed around them, and Harry found himself in an unfamiliar cavern, lit only by candles and torches.  He blinked, his eyes trying to adjust to the darkness.  He looked around and immediately recoiled as a leather clad vampire stepped out of the shadows.  His ears were pointed, and his face aged, his mouth red-rimmed from what Harry assumed was blood.  

He stepped back and turned to see Buffy at his side.  She looked younger, her hair and make-up done perfectly.  She wore a white dress with a black leather jacket covering it.

"Buffy, listen to me," he pleaded.

She looked at him, her eyes narrowed as though she was trying to work out why he was there with her.

"You have to leave," she said quietly.  "You shouldn't be here."

"Neither should you," he replied forcefully.

She shook her head and took aim with her crossbow, sending a bolt flying at the ancient vampire.  Harry turned to see if she'd made the mark, but the vampire had caught the flying object just before it could pierce his chest.  

"Nice shot," the vampire taunted.  "You're not going to kill me with that thing."

"Don't be so sure," Buffy replied.

Harry grabbed Buffy's arm and forced her to turn towards him.

"Buffy, this isn't real!  It's all in your head," he tried to explain.  "It's just a memory."

She looked up at him with terribly sad eyes and Harry was shocked into a heart-broken silence.  He watched as Buffy took a step back.  Except he was still holding her arm, and there were now two Buffy's in front of him.  

"Buffy?" he asked quietly.

Buffy pointed to her counterpart and looked at Harry.  "Watch," she instructed.

Harry did so, watching despairingly as the Master Vampire caught Buffy in his thrall and then proceeded to bite her.  Harry lifted his hand and gently outlined the scar that marred Buffy's neck tracing his fingers over the white raised lines.  His eyes went back to the other Buffy, and he watched as the Master shoved her away and allowed her to fall into a puddle of water, leaving her to die.

"I died," she whispered.  "That's what everyone has always wanted me to do.  The Ministry…they wanted to kill me when I was born.  They just didn't have the guts to do it.  The Council…they just used me as a Slayer even though I wasn't meant to be one.  My real father…when I refused to stand next to him, he wanted to kill me.  Vampires, demons…they all want me gone.  And the Ministry hasn't changed at all.  Everyone wants me dead."

"That's not true!" Harry yelled.  

He had her attention.  She looked at him sharply, her eyes practically begging him to convince her.

"Buffy…there are people who love you," he said quietly, touching his hand to her face and cupping her cheek.  "I love you.  I will always love you.  But running away from things isn't your answer Buffy.  You've tried it before remember?  It didn't work.  People still cared about you, no matter how much you tried to convince them not to."

A single tear slipped from Buffy's eyes, and Harry brushed it away with his thumb.  

"I know you're tired," he continued.  "And I know you're hurting, but…this isn't the answer.  Reliving your memories isn't going to do anything except make the pain that much worse."

"The Ministry will never stop," she whispered, tearing her eyes away from Harry's and looking down.

Harry brought his thumb and his forefinger to Buffy's chin and tilted Buffy's head back up to make her look at him.

"And if you stay here, you're letting them win," he said.  "You have to fight this."

"I'm so tired of fighting Harry.  I just want to be left alone," she said.

"I am _not_ leaving you here.  Not while I'm still breathing.  And I know for a fact that Malfoy would kick my arse if I let you just give up," Harry said.  "Your friends, your family…they love you.  _I_ love you.  Are you really just going to give up?" 

He watched the play of emotions racing over her face, praying that her had pushed her in the right direction.  He watched as Buffy completely crumbled, collapsing into his arms and sobbing, her body shaking and trembling.  He rubbed her back and whispered sweet nothings in her ear, rocking them back and forth in an effort to calm her down.  He kissed her temple softly and lowered his head to look into her eyes.

"You won't give up will you?" he asked gently.

She shook her head, not trusting herself to say anything in case her voice did embarrassing things.  She concentrated on her breathing, trying not to hyperventilate.  When she'd finally caught her breath and her heart rate had returned to normal, she looked brokenly at Harry.

"Take me home?"

-----

Soo…there's four more chapters to go!  I've got a fair whack of the triquel ready to go, which is kinda exciting (well, maybe it is for me…) 

Mega thanks for feedback and emails.  And to John for telling me my shortcomings!  *grins*  Good on ya!  

Toodles.

DKG,

PS.  There will be another update tomorrow on both AWF and WYD, but that'll be it for both of them until the 30th of Dec.  Going away for Chrissie, and will not have a computer *cries*.  I'm resorting to pen and paper, how sad is that.  Oh well.  Hope a lot of you guys take pity on us all and update so we won't be tremendously bored over the holidays.  


	37. The Animagus

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: THE ANIMAGUS

Ron, Hermione, Draco, Giles, Sirius, Willow and Faith sat in complete silence, each of them glancing at the clock on the kitchen wall every few seconds.  Draco kept sighing in frustration and running a hand through his now incredibly messy hair.  

"What's taking so long?" Ron asked.

Hermione sighed and placed a gentle hand on her boyfriend's leg.  "These sorts of things take time Ron," she explained.

"The book said the ritual could take anywhere between an hour or a day," Willow added.

Ron sighed and looked at the clock again.

"It's been nearly three hours," he complained.

"We can take you back to Hogsmeade if you'd like," Giles offered, somewhat snarkily.  He was frustrated as well, but Ron's questions were getting on his nerves.

Ron looked suitably chastised and shook his head.  "Sorry Professor," he said.

Willow couldn't help but giggle a little at the title.  Giles glared at her, but rolled his eyes when Willow laughed even more because of Giles' expression.

Draco abruptly stood up, unable to stay seated any longer.

"I'm going to check on them," he announced.  "See what's taking them so bloody long."

"Awww…you worried about little old me?" 

The group swivelled suddenly, all of them beginning to grin madly as they took in the sight of a fully conscious Buffy.  Draco raced to his cousin and swept her into a tight hug.  

When he pulled away, he was immediately replaced by Hermione, followed by Ron, followed by Willow and Giles.  

"Are you alright?" Giles asked quietly.

She nodded slowly, and Giles knew that she wasn't completely recovered from what had happened, but that she would heal, given enough time.

"I'll be okay, thanks to you guys," she said.

She looked around the room at the familiar smiling faces.  She stopped when she came to Faith, who's smile was genuine, but not as forceful as the others.  Buffy looked at the dark-haired girl curiously.  Willow followed Buffy's gaze and remembered that the two girls hadn't ever met.

"Oh…Buffy, this is Faith," Willow said.   "She's the Slayer."

Buffy's eyes widened, and she immediately re-appraised the new girl.   She held her hand out to Faith who shook it.  Buffy winced at the force of it, and Faith immediately looked contrite.

"Shit, sorry…forgot my own strength," Faith said apologetically.

Buffy just laughed.  "S'okay, believe me," Buffy assured her.  "I used to do the same thing all the time."

"Ain't that the truth," Willow muttered.

Buffy shot her a mock-wounded glare.  Willow just laughed, thankful that her best friend was alright.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Draco asked.

Buffy nodded, smiling in what she hoped to be a reassuring manner.

"I'll be okay," she said.  "I'm just…well, exhausted seems to fall short, so…whatever comes after that, that's about where I am."

Draco nodded, thankful that she didn't seem to be too harmed.  

Ron looked at Buffy and something that had been bothering him for the last four hours formed itself into a question.

"How'd you manage to escape?" he asked.  "I'd have thought for sure that Fudge would've taken your wand. 

Buffy suddenly smiled genuinely.  Harry felt his heart pick up at the sight of it, her smile a balm to his weary soul.

"He did," Buffy replied.  

"More Wiccan magic I'd guess," Hermione said.

Buffy nodded.  "Yep.  A power transference, a trans-locator spell, a bit of old-fashioned muggle lock-picking, and uh…"

"And what?" Giles asked, suddenly worried about the types of magic that Buffy had been doing.  The power transference spell was what worried him the most, but Buffy hadn't seemed too worried by it.  It was the spell she'd trailed off about that had Giles beginning to wonder just what his ward had been reading.

"I know that I wasn't meant to be reading it…and that I wasn't meant to try it without being registered…" she began.

"Buffy, you've got your apparating licence," Hermione reminded her friend.

Buffy blushed a little.

"Well…it's like this.  I've been researching some uh…extra curricular subjects, and…well, I figured if Sirius and Harry's dad could do it without getting caught, then…so could I," she said.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Sirius were the only ones who caught on to what Buffy was implying.  Giles, Willow, Draco and Faith could only look at the girl in complete confusion. 

"Buffy…what did you do?" Giles asked slowly.

"You're an Animagus!" Ron yelled incredulously.  "Wicked!"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Harry asked, looking wounded.

"Oh dear lord," Giles whispered, pulling off his glasses and polishing the lenses furiously. 

"I've never done it before today," Buffy said, trying to defend herself.  "I've been reading into the theory of it, and…well, ever since I heard about it last year, I've always wanted to try it."

Sirius looked at Buffy in shock.  "Wait…you've never successfully transformed yourself before today, yet you managed to do it after being locked in with a Dementor for over a day?"

Buffy nodded and shrugged.  "Yeah."

Sirius shook his head in disbelief.  It had taken he, James and Peter over two years to learn how to transform themselves into their different animagus forms.  The girl in front of him definitely had a lot of power in her hands.  And Sirius for one was thankful that she was on their side.

"What did you turn into?" Ron asked curiously.

Buffy cast her mind back to the events of several hours before, but couldn't remember what form she'd been able to take.  Whatever it was, she'd been able to get through the tiny slot in the door.  She hadn't even been sure that it would work, but obviously it had.

"I don't know," she admitted.  "Everything after draining that damn Dementor is a little fuzzy."

"Draining?" Giles repeated, his voice rising an octave with worry.

Buffy looked at him sheepishly.  

"I had nothing left Giles," she admitted.  "I didn't have my wand, and I couldn't draw on any of my own magic.  So…I took his."

The room went silent with worry, and it was Giles' who voiced what they were all thinking.

"That's tremendously dark magic Buffy," he said.

She nodded and shuddered, remembering the struggle she'd gone through in trying to balance herself.  "Trust me Giles, if I could have done the translocation spell without it, I would have.  I know that powers not something to be messed with.  It was…dark.  God it was so dark.  Evil," she whispered.  "I could taste it."

"How's evil taste?" Faith asked curiously.

Buffy turned to look at her, and tilted her head to the side thoughtfully.  "Kinda chalky."

"Alright, so you drained the Dementor," Giles said, still sounding slightly disapproving.  "Then what?"

"Well…I've been working on this translocation spell lately," Buffy admitted.  "Kinda of like apparating, but with Wiccan magic, and…well, I'm still kinda working out the kinks."

"Well, it must have worked," Harry commented.   "Where'd you send the Dementor though?"

"I dunno," Buffy shrugged.  "That's one of the kinks."

Ron couldn't help but laugh.  He could completely picture a Dementor suddenly popping up in the strangest of locations.  He could only hope that it was at the top of some remote mountain somewhere. 

"I still want to know what animal you transformed yourself into," Hermione prodded.

Buffy just shrugged.  "Trust me, if I remembered, I'd tell you, but…I barely remember apparating here.  I just thought of the one person who I've trusted since the beginning."

Willow blushed bright red and smiled at her best friend, truly touched that Buffy felt that she could come to her.  

"So…why not just do your animagusy mojo," Faith suggested.  "Wouldn't that solve everyone's problems?"

Buffy looked at the Slayer in shock.  Her first impression of Faith hadn't been of a thinker, but obviously she hadn't given Faith enough credit.

"Absolutely not," Giles said.  "Buffy, you're exhausted."

Buffy just shrugged.  "Giles I was exhausted before I got rid of the Dementor.  Beside, I couldn't hold the transformation for longer than a minute anyway.  It's not gonna kill me."

Giles rolled his eyes, hating the obstinate nature that Buffy had.  She'd always been headstrong, and whilst it was a good quality at times, at others it was just dangerous.  He knew however that there was nothing he could say that would deter Buffy from attempting to morph into her animal form.

The group fell silent as Buffy found herself looking inwards at her power.  She grabbed hold of what was left of her power, hoping that this day would end soon so that she could recharge, and felt her body again begin to shift.

The group watched as Buffy disappeared and she transformed into a black snake, measuring five feet, two inches uncurled itself and looked at the group curiously.  It's head cocked to the side in a familiar manner, and it's hazel eyes held the same look that Buffy's always held.  

Harry stepped forward and crouched down so that he was eye level with the snake.  

"_You're a snake_," he whispered in parseltongue.

Buffy's tongue flickered out of her mouth in a somewhat teasing manner.

"_Figures_," she replied.  

Harry grinned, and cautiously reached out his hand to touch the black serpent.  It stilled beneath his touch before nestling closer.  

"_Do you think you're poisonous?_" he asked.

Harry hadn't been aware that snakes were able to shrug, but now he'd seen the equivalent with his own eyes.  

"_We could find out,_" she teased.

Harry grinned and shook his head.  "_I don't think Sirius would be too impressed if I volunteered to be bitten._"

Faith looked between Harry and the snake that she knew was Buffy Summers.  She had definitely seen a few too many strange things within the space of only a few hours.  She leaned closer to Willow.

"How can he understand her?" Faith asked.

Willow shrugged, not knowing the answer.  Hermione looked at Faith and launched into an explanation.

"Harry's a Parselmouth.  It means he can talk to snakes.  Buffy's one too," Hermione said.  

"Buffy can talk to snakes?" Willow asked incredulously.

Hermione nodded.  She was going to launch into an explanation about snakes in relation to Tom Riddle and Salazar Slytherin, but she was interrupted by the snake morphing back into Buffy.  Harry reached down to help his girlfriend to her feet, catching her as her knees buckled.

"Okay…I'm thinking bed's looking awfully good right about now," Buffy commented tiredly.

Ron couldn't help but snicker.  He stopped immediately when Buffy glared at him.

"Hey, what'dya know?" Buffy said, using the last of her energy to smile cheerfully.  "The glaring thing really _does_ work.  Thanks Ron!"

---

Like I said in WYD, I won't be updating either of these again until the 29th.  Enjoy your Christmas holidays and catch yaz all in a few days.  (Dreaming of a Green Christmas)

DKG.


	38. The Ministry

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: THE MINISTRY

The group moved through the halls of Hogwarts, heading towards Professor Dumbledore's office.

"I still don't like this," Buffy said quietly.  Harry squeezed Buffy's hand comfortingly, and Buffy just sighed.

"You'll be fine," he assured her.

Buffy rolled her eyes.  She didn't know how anything was going to be fine.

They'd explained to her what had happened with Blaise and how the entire school was now aware of the truth of what had happened several days earlier.  But Buffy still didn't trust the Ministry of Magic.  Even though Cornelius Fudge had been aware of the truth, he'd still chosen to punish her for nothing more than who her father was.

Buffy had been reluctant to even go back to Hogwarts, but Harry had changed her mind.  Now she had been bullied into meeting the Minister of Magic, something that she wasn't particularly looking forward to.

"I think you'll be pleasantly surprised Buffy," Giles said, hearing his ward's distress.

Buffy sighed and continued walking.  They stopped in front of the stone statue that guarded Dumbledore's office, and after Giles muttered the password, they ascended the spiral stairs to the office.  

"If there's a Dementor in there I'm gonna kick your ass," Buffy declared, looking between Harry and Giles.

Draco just smirked, amused by Buffy's antics.  Hermione and Ron just grinned at each other and followed Harry and Buffy up the stairs.  

Giles opened the door to the office, and lead the way in, holding the door open.  Buffy stepped inside, expecting to see the Cornelius Fudge.  She stopped in her tracks when she saw an unfamiliar man with a kind smile seated opposite Dumbledore and beside Sirius Black.

"Miss Summers," Dumbledore said pleasantly.  "Please, come in, come in.  Mr Malfoy, if you would kindly close the door behind you."

"He's not Fudge," Buffy said.

The man with the kind smile chuckled and shook his head, standing up to walk towards Buffy.  He held out his hand, and Buffy reached out to shake it, moving on autopilot.  

"I'm Kingsley Shacklebolt.  The new Minister of Magic," he said.

Buffy's jaw practically dropped in shock.  Kingsley Shacklebolt was a tall black man who was no older than thirty-five.  His head was completely bald, and the only hair he had was a small triangle in the centre of his chin.  

"You're serious?" Buffy asked.

Harry's godfather couldn't help himself.  "No, that would be me," Sirius quipped.

Buffy turned to glare at him.  "You're not funny."

Sirius just smirked and Buffy looked back at Shacklebolt.  

"A group of Aurors has been looking into Cornelius Fudge for the last few weeks.  When we discovered that he'd acquisitioned a Dementor from Azkaban for unknown reasons, we knew we needed to take actions.  When we discovered what he was using the Dementor _for_ we had enough evidence to have him expelled from the Ministry," Shacklebolt explained.  "I was asked to take his place."

Buffy nodded, taking in the information.  There was only one word that could possibly have described what she was feeling.  Elated.  She sighed with relief and looked to Professor Dumbledore.

"He's not evil, right?" she asked.  "I mean, he's not about to try and get me expelled, or take away any other parts of my magic?"

Dumbledore just chuckled.  "No, my dear, he won't be.  In fact, Mr Shacklebolt was the next in line as your protector if Rupert here had declined to take the position.  He has always felt rather strongly that evil is not inherent, rather it is chosen."

Buffy looked at Shacklebolt, her opinion of him changing drastically.  She'd heard too many times from people in power that she was evil just because of who her father was.  That it was in her genes and that she would never be able to get past it. 

"I think I like you already," Buffy said brightly.

Shacklebolt laughed heartily.  "Good to hear it Miss Summers."

Harry nudged his girlfriend, happy to see her smiling for once.

"Aren't you glad we convinced you to come back?" Harry teased.

Buffy rolled her eyes and placed a gentle kiss on Harry's cheek.

"Yeah, yeah, you're such a hero," she replied.  

Shacklebolt laughed slightly at the two bantering teenagers.  He'd been somewhat surprised by the romance between Voldemort's daughter and Harry Potter.  It was a strange match, but now that he could see it with his own eyes, he knew that it was definitely real.  

"I believe this is yours Miss Summers," Shacklebolt said, handing the thin piece of black wood towards Buffy.

Buffy took her wand from the new Minister of Magic and felt something familiar settle in her skin.  She hadn't realised how much she'd missed having her wand with her over the last two days, but now that it was back in her hands, it was definitely a comfort.

"Thank you." 

She turned back to look at the Headmaster.  

"So…I'm all set to go back to classes and stuff?" she asked.  "I'm not about to have the other students whispering about me right?"

"No more than usual," Dumbledore replied.

It was the best answer Buffy could hope for.  She could only hope that the friendships she'd built up hadn't been completely destroyed by Blaise's cruel actions.  

"Now…I don't know about all of you, but I'm feeling rather peckish," Dumbledore said, standing up.  "And if I'm not much mistaken, the house elves are about to serve up dinner in the Great Hall."

------------------------

Dinner hadn't been as painful as Buffy had been expecting.  She'd stopped caring about most of the students opinions of her, but there were a few that mattered.  A glance at the Hufflepuff table had shown her that Tara, while still painfully shy, still genuinely trusted her.  The girl had waved and then turned a bright shade of red.  Buffy still had to ask Willow why Tara had her address in the first place.  

A glance at the Slytherins had shown her that barely any of them were glaring at her.  Blaise Zabini was gone and Millicent Bulstrode, Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle had all kept their eyes down, never once even glancing at Buffy.  She didn't know any Ravenclaws, so that 'table didn't matter all that much to her.

The Gryffindors had thankfully taken her back into their house with very few comments.  Glenn Wood had even apologised for glaring at her.  She knew she would need to sit down and talk to Ginny Weasley, who, according to Harry had taken Buffy's transformation rather badly.

And Buffy had a sneaking suspicion that from the way Oliver Wood was glancing at her every few moments, she would probably need to talk to him as well.  

------------------------

Buffy approached the Quidditch Pitch nervously.  She hadn't particularly wanted to do this, but she'd put it off for long enough.  Besides which, she wasn't someone who usually avoided things for so long.  She had always prided herself on meeting tasks head-on, and she was going to do that.

Oliver Wood froze in mid-air when he saw the familiar blonde girl walk onto the pitch.  He slowly made his way down to the ground and carefully dismounted his broom, holding onto the handle to keep his hands from fidgeting.

"I thought I'd find you here," Buffy began quietly.

Oliver nodded.  "Well…here I am.  What did you need me for?"

"I uh…I know I've kinda been avoidy-girl these days, but…I get the feeling that you and I really need to talk," she said.

Oliver swallowed hard.  He hadn't been expecting Buffy to come and confront him.  In fact, he'd hoped that she would never ask him about what had happened between he and her double.

"It's alright Buffy, honestly," he said, desperately not wanting to have this conversation.

"Blaise came onto you, didn't she?" Buffy asked bluntly.

Oliver winced.  He hesitated before nodding.  Buffy sighed.  She couldn't believe how much damage one girl had done with only two hours to do it in.  She was just lucky her friends and her family had been smart enough to work out what had happened, as well as prove her innocence.

"I'm really sorry," Buffy whispered.

"S'not your fault," Oliver replied, looking down at his shoes, scuffing them through the dirt.

"No, but…you thought she was me, and…and I know how you feel about me," Buffy said.

Oliver sighed tiredly.  

"I know you're with Harry, and I respect that Buffy, I do.  But…you're just so damn different from everyone else I've ever met.  It's refreshing," he said.  "And…well, if it's alright, I'd still like for us to be friends."

Buffy smiled sadly and nodded.  "I'd like that."

Oliver grinned and held out his hand.  Buffy shook it gently.

"You should probably know that this is my last week at Hogwarts," Oliver said.  "Madam Hooch is coming back at the end of the week, so…I'm not needed here anymore."

"You'll still come to the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match though, right?" Buffy asked.  "It's on the third of January."

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," he replied.  "You'll understand if I don't stick around afterwards though."

"I'm really sorry," she apologised again.

Oliver just shook his head.  He stepped forward and gently kissed Buffy's cheek.  "It's been good getting to know you Buffy Summers.  You truly are one of a kind."

"So are you Oliver Wood," she replied.  

-----

So, two more chapters to go.  Anyone else excited?  And then you get to read the sequel.  Hurrah!!  *lol* Hope all your Christmasses were all kinds of good and that Santa was extra kind to you all.

Toodles.

DKG.


	39. The Letter

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: THE LETTER

Four weeks later and things were practically back to normal.  Ron and Draco still tried to best each other at chess every evening, Harry and Buffy secluded themselves away in their room, and Hermione began studying like a woman possessed, even though exams weren't for another six months.  Everything was basically perfect.

Of course, as always, as soon as one area of life is perfect, another takes a drastic dive.  Buffy could feel it in the pit of her stomach.  She knew that something was about to change.  Something drastic.  She just didn't know what.  She was having trouble sitting still, a restlessness taking over her body and making her fidget with far too much energy.  Her morning runs had become longer, and she'd re-built some of her speed that she'd lost earlier in the term.

The group sat at the dinner table, Draco still sitting with the Gryffindors even though he was sleeping back in the Slytherin area of Hogwarts.  Ron was shovelling food into his mouth as though he'd never seen a proper meal before.  Hermione and Buffy were comparing their assignment topics for their Transfiguration class, and Harry was adding his own advice whenever he felt the need.  

The sudden arrival of hundreds of owls in the Great Hall captured everyone's attention.  Ron unwrapped the parcel from his parents, grinning widely when he saw the cake his mother had made, for no other reason than that she could.  Ginny received something very similar.  Hermione got her weekly letter from her parents, and Buffy grabbed the letter from Sara that had become habit over the last three months.  

Buffy glanced around the room and saw Tara's face light up when she received a letter that was written on a very familiar stationary set with kittens decorating the envelope.  Buffy knew without a doubt that it was from Willow.  

When she'd asked the redhead about her correspondence with Tara, Willow had blushed but had stumbled through her answer of them just being pen pals who swapped spells and stories about their different experiences.  Buffy didn't know for sure, but she suspected that there was more there than met the eye.  The blush was nothing unusual, but Buffy could remember her first meeting with Willow.

I can usually make a few vowel sounds and then I have to go away.

And whilst Willow's confidence had sky-rocketed since that day over three years ago, Buffy could read her best friend like the back of her hand.  She'd been fairly certain that Willow was completely straight, but there was something about the nervousness that reminded Buffy of when Willow had first met Oz.  

Buffy could only hope that neither of her two friends got hurt by it.  Or, she could have been reading things horribly wrong, but she'd always been fairly good at reading people.  

She watched Tara read through the note, and Buffy straightened when she saw Tara tense.  

Tara looked up and her eyes met Buffy's.  Tara stood and began making her way to the Gryffindor table.  Buffy knew that this wasn't a good thing, and got up to meet her halfway.

"What's wrong?" Buffy demanded.

"It's…it's…"

"Did something happen to Will?  Or to Xander?" Buffy asked.

"N-no.  It, uh…" Tara could barely speak.  Instead, she handed over Willow's letter.

_Dear Tara,_

_Sorry for the shortness of this note.  I'm currently at the hospital with Faith.  She was hurt really badly three days ago, which is why it's taken so long for me to answer your letter.  Your owl found me at the hospital somehow.  Can you please tell Buffy about what's happened.  _

Yours, Willow.

Buffy felt her heart plummet.  It wasn't as though she and Faith were particularly close.  In fact, they'd said barely ten words to each other.  But there was something in Faith that Buffy recognised within herself.  And while Buffy may not have been the real Slayer, she had taken on that burden for two and a half years.  She'd read the loneliness in Faith's eyes and seen through the tough-girl act immediately.  

"Oh god," Buffy whispered.

"Are y-you and Faith close?" Tara asked.

Buffy shook her head.  "No.  But she and Willow are."

"I k-know," Tara replied.  

Tara had heard a lot about Faith, the Vampire Slayer.  She'd been awed that Willow knew an actual Slayer.  It was fairly impressive in Tara's mind.

"I should go there…see how Will's holding up," Buffy said.

Tara hesitated for a moment before deciding to jump in with both feet.

"Will you take me with you?" 

Buffy looked at the shy girl in surprise, not only because she'd been bold enough to ask, but because she'd managed to do so without a stutter.

She thought about her answer carefully for a moment.  She had no idea how close Willow and Tara really were, but she knew that refusing Tara's request would probably not earn her any points in either the blonde's or the redhead's books.

"Yeah.  Of course.  Let me just go tell Harry and the others," Buffy said.

------------------------

The two blonde girls apparated to the car park of the hospital in London.  Tara looked around in shock, having never actually apparated anywhere before in her life.  It was certainly unlike anything she'd ever experienced before.

"That was…y'know, kind of neat," Tara said.

Buffy smiled and steered Tara towards the entrance.  The taller blonde girl looked around uncomfortably.  She'd been raised in a world of magic by her mother until she was fourteen.  When her mother had died, she'd been taken to a muggle hospital, and she hadn't been back to one since.  The familiar sights and smells of it all was bringing back painful memories for her.

"Hey, you okay?" Buffy asked, noticing Tara's discomfort.

"I don't like h-hospitals," Tara admitted.

"Me neither," Buffy replied.

The two girls made their way to Faith's room after asking the receptionist where to find the injured girl.  Buffy hesitated before entering.  Her gaze swept over the bed-ridden Slayer and then to the redhead who was seated in a hard plastic chair keeping watch over her friend.

"Wills?" 

Willow looked up, a smile lighting her face as she took in the familiar face of her best friend.  When she noticed Tara as well, her smile became even brighter.  She embraced Buffy tightly, and stepped back.  

Willow and Tara looked at each other hesitantly for a moment.  Willow breathed in deeply before stepping forward and hugging the younger girl.  Buffy smiled softly, knowing she hadn't been wrong in her earlier speculation about the two girls.  And as long as they were happy, then so was she.  Besides, she was definitely an expert on unconventional relationships.

Buffy stepped closer to Faith and stared at the girl.  It was strange looking down at someone who she'd only ever seen as vibrant and full of life.  Faith had always seemed unable to sit still, and seeing her unconscious was a shock, even though she and Faith weren't terribly close.

"How is she?" Buffy asked.

"The doctor's say that she should be okay," Willow replied softly.  "It was touch and go there for a while, but…she's definitely a fighter."

Buffy nodded slowly.   "She's a Slayer."

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," Willow said.  "Either of you."

"Well, I figured you probably needed a friend," Buffy explained.

Willow nodded thankfully.  It had been depressing just watching Faith sleep for the last few days.  She understood that it was Faith's body's way of healing and that it was necessary for Faith to recuperate after such an injury.

"How are you h-holding up?" Tara asked quietly.

Willow shrugged and shook her head, sighing softly.  She'd never liked hospitals.  The Scoobies seemed to spend too much time there, and it hadn't ever been fun for any of them.  

"Tired," Willow admitted.  

Buffy turned to look at her best friend in concern.  "When was the last time you ate anything?" 

Willow paused for a moment, trying to remember.  She shrugged helplessly.  Buffy rolled her eyes and pulled out a blank piece of paper as well as her wand.  She transfigured the paper into British Pounds and handed the money to Tara, who took it with wide eyes.

"It that legal?" she questioned.

Buffy just shrugged.  "Probably not.  Can you make sure she eats something?" she asked.

Tara nodded and nervously took Willow by the hand.  Buffy smiled at the faint blush that rose on Willow's cheeks.  The door closed behind them and Buffy moved to sit in the seat Willow had vacated.  

Not even three minutes after Willow and Tara had left, the door opened.  Buffy looked up, slightly startled.  She'd expected to see a doctor or a nurse, not the man in the tweed suit with dark brown hair and thin wire-framed glasses.

"Oh, uh…terribly sorry," he stuttered.  "Didn't mean to disturb."

"S'okay.  Who're you?" she asked, although she had a fair idea of who this man was.

"A friend," he replied.

"Her Watcher?" Buffy asked.

The man began spluttering.  He removed his glasses and began polishing them furiously.  Buffy grinned.  She'd seen Giles do that so many times whenever he was angry, frustrated or just plain lost for words.

"She…she told you?" he asked.

Buffy shook her head, not wanting to get the Slayer in trouble.  She'd had it drilled into her by both Merrick and Giles that she needed to keep the Slayer thing a secret.

"Not as such.  My name's Buffy Summers," she said, standing and holding her hand out to him.

He hesitated for a moment, trying to gauge what sort of a threat this girl could be.  His eyes wept over her petite form, and he finally conceded to shaking her hand.

"Wesley Wyndham-Pryce," he replied.  He paused momentarily and looked at her again.  "Buffy Summers, did you say?"

Buffy nodded.

"Good lord," he whispered.

Buffy felt for her wand and felt safer when her fingers curled around the cool handle of it.

"You're…well…You-Know-Who's daughter, aren't you?" he asked.

"Yup.  That'd be me," she replied flippantly.

"What do you want with Faith?" Wesley asked, suddenly feeling incredibly frightened of the small girl who looked tensed and ready for battle.  

"You've met Willow Rosenburg right?" Buffy asked.  Wesley nodded.  "Will's my best friend from back home."

"Sunnydale?" Wesley asked.

Buffy nodded.  "Born and bred.  You know, I thought most Watchers were muggles."

"Most are," Wesley replied.  "I'm actually half and half.  My father's a muggle, a Watcher, but my mother was a witch."

"Was?"

"She was killed by Death-Eaters," Wesley said.

Buffy couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt at his statement.  It was the first time she'd felt that way.  Whenever she thought of Harry's parents she always felt horribly guilty for her father's actions.  It pained her to think about how many people her father and his followers had killed over the years.  It was frightening, and far too many to count.

"I'm sorry," Buffy whispered.

"Not your fault," Wesley replied kindly.  He could tell that the girl was genuinely upset by it, and in that moment of seeing her sadness, he knew that she was not there to harm his Slayer.

There was a moment of silence where neither of them really knew what to say to each other.  Wesley cleared his throat and finally thought of a topic.

"You're at Hogwarts then?" he asked.

Buffy nodded.  "Yup.  Sixth Year."

"Slytherin?" he asked.

Buffy wrinkled her nose.  "God no.  Gryffindor."

"Really?  I was in Gryffindor," he said.

"Cool.  Did'ya play Quidditch?" she asked.

"Good lord, no," he replied.  "I'm terrified of heights.  You?"

"I'm on the team," she replied.  "I'm one of the Chasers."

"One of my good friends was a Chaser.  Arthur Weasley," Wesley said nostalgically.

"Mr Weasley?  He's my friend's dad," Buffy said.

"Ronald or Virginia?" Wesley asked curiously.  He'd kept tabs on his old friend, but hadn't seen him since he'd started at the Watcher's Academy.

"Virginia?  Is that what Ginny's short for.  I always wondered.  Oh, and both of them I guess," Buffy replied.  "Ron's the Keeper, and Ginny's one of the other Chasers.  My boyfriend, Harry, he's the Seeker."

Wesley's eyes went wide.  "Harry?  As in Potter?"

Buffy nodded.  "Yup.  He's a sweetie."

Wesley laughed a little.  "It sounds as though you're all very close," Wesley commented.  

"We are," Buffy replied, smiling softly.  

"I rather miss my Hogwarts days," Wesley admitted.  "It was nice…being surrounded by so many friends."

Buffy went to reply, but a soft moan coming from Faith interrupted her.  She raced to Faith's side and watched as Faith's eyes fluttered open.

The Slayer groaned as she took in her surroundings.  Buffy could sympathise.  Waking up in hospital was never fun.  Faith shot a puzzled look between her Watcher and Buffy.  

"Wes?  B?  What're you guys doing here?" Faith asked groggily.

"Willow called," Wesley explained.  "I've only just been able to get away from the Council today."

Faith nodded, not really concentrating on Wesley's answer.  She shifted slightly and groaned with discomfort.

"Remind me not to let myself get ambushed by a dozen vamps," Faith whispered, closing her eyes.

Wesley chuckled a little.  "I rather think you've learnt your lesson.  The doctor's say you should be out of here by tomorrow."

"Thank god for that," Faith replied.  

The door opened again, and Willow and Tara entered, holding three cups of coffee.  Willow's face fell as she saw that they were now two cups short.  She pouted for a moment before going to retrieve another coffee and a cup of tea for Wesley.  

------------------------

"Thank you for coming," Willow said, hugging Buffy fiercely.

"S'okay Wills," Buffy replied.  "Just say the word and I'm here."

Willow smiled and moved to hug Tara. They embraced for longer than Willow and Buffy had and the short blonde girl fought to hide a smirk.  Faith too was looking at the blonde and the redhead speculatively.  Buffy and Faith shared a glance that spoke volumes and grinned at each other.

"Promise you won't die, alright?" Buffy asked the brunette girl.

"Scout's honour, B," Faith replied.

Buffy wrinkled her nose.  "I doubt you were ever a scout of any sort."

Faith just grinned.  "I've slept with scouts, does that count?"

Buffy laughed and shook her head.  "Will you still be in London for Christmas?"

Faith nodded.  "Yeah.  Red invited me to stay even though neither of us really do the Christmas thing."

"Cool.  I'd really like to get to know you better, I think," Buffy admitted.

Faith smiled genuinely.  She actually really liked Buffy and was fascinated by the confidence she seemed to hold herself with.  Faith had never been unconfident or anything like that, but there was a different between being cocky and being confident.  Faith had the cockiness down pat, but she knew she wasn't particularly confident, unless it came to her slaying.

"Sounds good, B."

Buffy just rolled her eyes.  "Don't call me that."

-----

So…one more chapter to go.  Many thanks to everyone for your reviews and emails and all that fun stuff.  Happy New Year!  Oh, and if anyone knows who won World Idol, could you pliz tell me.  Ta!

Toodles.

DKG.


	40. The Calling

CHAPTER FORTY: THE CALLING

(For the sake of argument, [and because three of my HP books got knicked and I can't find out what the real timing is…] I'm having the Hogwarts students gets two weeks break for Christmas.  The week before and the week after Christmas Day.  Cool?)

Buffy stretched tiredly before snuggling back into the warm arms of Harry, who gently stroked her back as they lay side by side on Buffy's bed.

"God I love holidays," Buffy said.  "I was getting so burnt out.  I somehow managed to transmogrify a rat into a tiger instead of a cat!  McGonagall said I was damn lucky that both animals slept through it all.  Not to mention that weird ass Serenity Charm that Flitwick had us try.  I practically put poor Hermione in a coma!  So…uh….what was my point again?  Oh, right!  Holidays.  God I love holidays."

Harry laughed a little, and pressed a kiss to Buffy's forehead.  When Buffy had relayed the stories of her accidents during lessons, he'd been unable to control his laughter.  Ron had almost been rolling on the floor in his laughter.  Hermione had, as always, been worried about Buffy's control of her magic, but Buffy believed it only to be 'it's almost holidays' excitement.

"They do have a certain charm," he agreed.

"Charm?  Harry, it's holidays!  No work, no teachers, no glowering Snape hovering behind us!" Buffy exclaimed.

Harry smiled at her enthusiasm and quickly grabbed Buffy's waist and straddled her, pining her wrists beside her head.  He ducked down to kiss her, and was immediately surprised when Buffy burst into action, flipping them over so that he was on his back.

He laughed and Buffy grinned triumphantly.  He struggled but found himself pinned completely beneath her.  He thought about their position for a moment before deciding he didn't really mind.

There was a knock at the door, and the two teens pulled apart reluctantly.  The door opened and Harry felt himself blushing bright red.

"Hey Mrs Lanstone," he greeted Buffy's mother.

"Hey Sara…what's the what?" Buffy asked.

Sara smiled knowingly at the two of them.  She genuinely liked Harry, even though she'd at first had misgivings about the two teens being together.  She knew she couldn't say anything about it to her daughter, but after seeing the two of them together, she knew that they truly loved each other.  Of course, that didn't mean that she approved of them sleeping together in her house.

Buffy had been completely mortified when Sara had pulled her aside only two days earlier and had requested that Buffy and Harry not sleep together in the house.  Buffy had agreed to it, even though she didn't particularly like the idea, but she could understand it.

"I just thought I'd see if the two of you were interested in going shopping?" Sara asked.

Buffy looked at Harry hopefully.  Harry just laughed, knowing his girlfriend's penchant for shipping.  And he couldn't deny her anything.  He nodded and stood up, pulling on his shoes and watching as Buffy scrambled to find a suitable outfit.  If Sara hadn't been there staring at him expectantly, Harry would have been quite content to stay and watch Buffy get changed.  He sighed and stood up, leaving Buffy alone to her wardrobe.

------------------------

"Okay, even I have my limits for shopping," Buffy said tiredly.

Sara just laughed.  "I never thought I'd hear you say that Buffy," Sara said.

Buffy grinned and teasingly poked her tongue out.  

"There's still a few things I need to get," Sara said, looking at the shops.  She glanced at her daughter who really was looking sick of shopping.  She spotted a park across the road and pointed it out to Buffy.

"Perhaps you and Harry could do with a break," Sara suggested.

"Ohh, we can relive our kiddie years," Buffy said, spotting the empty swing-set.

"I shouldn't be too long.  A half hour at most," Sara said.

Buffy nodded and they went in two separate direction, Harry taking hold of Buffy's hand as they made their way into the park.  The two young Gryffindors sat on the swings, gently swaying back and forth as they took in the sun that was beginning to set on the horizon.

"Are you excited about tomorrow?" Harry asked.

Buffy grinned and nodded.  "Yeah," she replied.  "I am.  Faith's turned out to be a pretty good friend, and…well, even though neither of them really do the whole Christmas thing, it'll be good to see them both again.  It was nice of Will to put Christmas Eve dinner forward two days so that we could still go to the Yule Ball."

Harry smiled at Buffy's enthusiasm.  "And Tara will be there as well?"

"Yup.  I can't believe they're…well…together," Buffy said.  "It's kinda…surreal.  But good.  Very brave.  I can't believe how right they are together.  They just seem to fit."

"Kind of like us," Harry said.

Buffy smiled and pushed her swing sideways and grabbed onto the chains of Harry's, pulling him to s top, their knees touching.

"Yeah," she whispered, kissing him softly.  "Like us.  They've got that whole 'them against the world' thing that we've got."

Harry smiled and kissed her again.  He loved the feeling he had whenever he was with his girlfriend.  It was that feeling of certainty that nothing could go wrong, that nothing could hurt them.  They'd gone through so much together and come out of it even stronger than before.  He knew with certainty that there was nothing that could tear them apart.

"Love you," he whispered.

Buffy smiled and placed her arms around Harry's neck, luxuriating in the absolute contentment she felt around him.  "Love you too."

They lost themselves in their kisses, letting the world fall away from them, both of them content to have only one other person exist for them.  They stilled when they heard someone subtly cough in front of them.  Buffy sighed and let her lips linger on Harry's for a moment before pulling away completely.

In front of them stood a man in his late thirties, attired in a suit and tie, though the top button of his shirt was undone, giving him a more casual look.  His hair was a dark brown that had been spiked with gel, and he looked more than just a little nervous.

"Elizabeth Riddle?" he asked.

"Yeah…hi!  What?" Buffy asked.

The man cleared his throat.  "May I…could I perhaps have a moment of your time?" he asked.

Buffy's eyes narrowed.  "Are you from the Ministry?" she asked.

"Ministry?  What Ministry?" he asked.

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief.  The man's confusion was genuine, and Buffy knew that he had no idea what she was talking about.

"Well…if you're not from the Ministry, who are you?" she asked.  

The man glanced in Harry's direction, but Harry just stared back at him, almost defiantly.  The young wizard knew that the man wanted a moment alone with Buffy, but there was no way that Harry was leaving Buffy alone with some stranger.

"Look, anything you have to say can be said in front of Harry," Buffy said, noticing the exchange between Harry and the man in the suit.

The man nodded nervously.  "I uh…my name's Dominic Wood."

Buffy waited for him to say more, but he paused.  She looked at him expectantly.  "And?  What do you want with me?"

"You have to come with me," Dominic said seriously.  "You're one of the few who can stop them."

"Stop them?" Buffy asked, feeling a strange sense of déjà vu.  

"The Vampires," Dominic explained.

Buffy stood up, the swing flying wildly as she leapt to her feet.  

"This isn't funny," she said quietly, her voice dropping to a low and threatening tone.

"It's not supposed to be," he replied.  "You are the Chosen One.  Miss Riddle…you're the Slayer."

Buffy's jaw dropped.

END

To be continued in 'A Wizard's Slayer'.  *grins* Couldn't resist another sequel.  

I told you that I had Buffy lose her powers for a reason. ;)  

Many many many many (did I mention many?) thanks for all of your feedback and encouragement.  You guys seriously rock my world!

Many thanks to John who gave me so many suggestions for this story that it wasn't funny.  So, shout outs to my unofficial beta!  

Yes there is another story that follows this fic.  As I said, it's called 'A Wizard's Slayer' (not to be confused with my other fic 'A _Watcher's_ Slayer'…

Again, thank you for reading this thing.  And for those of you who were horribly pedantic and didn't like the whole british dollar thing (I'm Aussie, not my fault ur WEIRD!!!) I re uploaded the last chapter with the word pound instead.  K?

Toodles.

Ooo, one more thing.  I'll post the first chapter of AWS on the Seventh of January.  (ie tomorrow.)

Toodles.

DKG. 


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